It’s Christmas Eve and the countdown to Santa’s sleigh ride begins. Every year it is tradition for the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) to track and report Santa’s whereabouts to the children of the world as he begins his journey to deliver presents. Have your kids check out our “Tracking Santa on Christmas” page where they can watch a video and learn how NORAD tracks Santa.
The tradition started by accident on December 24, 1955 when a department store placed an advertisement in a Colorado Springs newspaper which told children that they could telephone Santa Claus and included a number for them to call. However, the telephone number printed was incorrect and the calls went to the Colorado Springs’ Continental Air Defense Command (CONAD) Center. The colonel on duty that night, told his staff to give all children that called in a “current location” for Santa Claus. The tradition continued when the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) replaced CONAD in 1958.
