With less than 24 hours remaining before good 'ol Saint Nick makes his way around the globe to deliver presents, children must be wondering where he is right now.
Thanks to the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD), we can now track Santa's journey from the North Pole to different parts of the world in real time by using the NORAD Santa Tracker.
NORAD is basically a collaborative effort of the U.S. and Canada, which monitors the North American air space. Through the NORAD Santa Tracker, one can monitor Santa's journey. What's more, NORAD is also tweeting Father Christmas' journey live on Twitter throughout the day.
For the unfamiliar, the tradition of tracking Santa started by accident in 1955 when an advertisement encouraging children to call Santa appeared. However, the advertisement accidentally gave the incorrect number and the typo in the Sears paper led children to call Continental Air Defense Command (now NORAD) instead. As children quizzed about Santa's whereabouts on the number, Colonel Harry Shoup asked his staff to attend to the calls and update callers to Santa Claus' position.
This soon developed into an annual tradition where volunteers would man call centers on Christmas Eve and field nearly 70,000 calls from 200 countries each year.
Over the years, NORAD has imbibed technology and adapted to changing times. In 1997, NORAD started its popular Santa tracker website. Once the smartphone boom happened, several apps that tracked Santa also emerged.
Now, Microsoft's virtual assistant Cortana offers updates on Santa's journey when commanded to do so.
How to Track Santa on NORAD
Civilians who wish to track Santa's journey can do so by following NORAD's live map on its site. If you're active on social media then Santa's journey can be traced in 3D on Facebook and Twitter as well on Thursday, Dec. 24, after 12:01 a.m. ET. There is also a YouTube and Google+ account.
"We are SOOO EXCITED for #NORAD Tracks #Santa to start!! Join us as we track the world traveler! www.noradsanta.org," wrote NORAD on Facebook.
On NORAD's website one can also see Santa prepare for his journey. The Santa Cams will be streaming the videos on the site as he makes his way across the globe. At 4 AM ET, trackers will be able to speak to live phone operators to ask about St. Nick's whereabouts. To do so you can call number 1-877-Hi-NORAD (1-877-446-6723), which is toll-free.
You can also send an email inquiry to noradtrackssanta@outlook.com.
Twitter users will be able follow Santa's journey using the hashtag #NORAD. NORAD's official website also has several interactive updates. You can also download the NORAD Santa Tracker app for iOS, Android or Windows Phone to stay updated.
Google Tracker
Google also has its own Santa Tracker which will track his sleigh's journey on a map which is interactive. This uses Google Maps and shows Father Christmas' progress around the world.
The site has a countdown which shows how much time is left before Santa takes off to deliver presents. The site has several interactive features and you learn about Christmas celebrations in different parts of the world such as New Zealand where it is summer and people do barbecues.
You can play tabs such as the North Pole Airport, Memory Match, learn about holiday traditions, learn code lab where there is a reindeer puzzle to make and more. You can also color pictures virtually and learn about the animals being colored. You can also watch Santa's take off!
Android device owners can trace Santa's journey through the Google Santa Tracker. The app is compatible with Chromecast and, therefore, you can view it on your TV too.
