NORAD, or North American Air Defense Command, was formed in 1958 to defend the continent. Tracking Santa Claus began in 1955 when a Sears store printed the wrong number for Santa, leading children to call NORAD instead. The tradition continues today, with information available in six languages on the NORAD website. The effort is largely volunteer-based and an exercise in creativity and imagination.
First, it can be helpful to know what NORAD stands for. NORAD is short for North American Air Defense Command, known as CONAD, or Continental Air Defense Command, until the late 1950s. In 1958, the United States and Canada combined to form NORAD to more effectively warn and defend the continent in the event of attack. The North American Air Defense Command monitors airways for intrusions such as aircraft or missiles and warns if an unrecognized object is expected to enter protected airways and, more recently, waterways as well.
So why would a major entity like NORAD track Santa Claus? This too started in the 1950s and happened due to a simple mistake. In 1955, a Sears store, known at the time as Sears Roebuck and Company, ran Christmas advertisements that included a telephone number where children could reach Santa Claus. The only problem was that the phone number was printed incorrectly.
When excited children started dialing on Christmas Eve, they reached CONAD, instead of Santa Claus. The colonel in charge acknowledged what had happened and, as an act of kindness, had his team check their radar to see where Santa might be. The children were told of its assumed location when they called.
Following Santa became a Christmas Eve custom after that. When CONAD became NORAD, the custom was passed down and is still in practice today. Information about Santa is now available in six different languages, and children and their families can locate Santa by calling or visiting the NORAD website. The NORAD site also has a countdown timer that shows exactly how long it will be until Santa leaves the North Pole, which includes days, hours, minutes, and even seconds. Kids can learn the second Santa begins his journey and follow his progress towards their locations.
For those concerned about this use of taxpayer dollars, remember that much of this effort is simply an exercise in creativity and imagination. Additionally, NORAD says people from both the United States and Canada are volunteering to help track down Santa Claus. If you’d like to learn more about this Christmas Eve tradition, or if you’d like to follow Santa’s progress, visit the NORAD website for more information. Merry Christmas to all and to Santa Claus, have a good flight!
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