Santa Claus is coming to town, and you can find out what his ETA is on Christmas Eve.
The NORAD Santa Tracker is operating for its 64th year, so you can know exactly when Saint Nick will shimmy down your chimney.
The North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) has been tracking Saint Nick's travels since 1955, when a local newspaper advertisement informed children they could call Santa directly – only the contact number in the advertisement was misprinted.
Instead of reaching Santa, the phone rang through to the crew commander on duty, U.S. Air Force Colonel Harry Shoup, at the Continental Air Defense Command Operations Center, the predecessor to NORAD.
“Col. Shoup was quick to realize a mistake had been made, and assured the child he was Santa. Shoup then assigned a duty officer to continue answering calls,” explained NORAD.
Thus, a tradition was born, and continued when NORAD was formed in 1958. Each year since, NORAD has reported Santa's location on Dec. 24 to millions of children and families.
Their website offers up a live stream of Santa's flight, in addition to various online games and a virtual exploration of the North Pole.
Learn about holiday traditions around the world, Mr. Claus' sleigh and listen to his personally curated playlist!
Curious little ones can even get live updates on his location by calling 1-877-HI-NORAD (1-877-446-6723) to speak with a NORAD agent.
