Volunteer tracker Matthew Harvey joined his mother Col. Tina Harvey to help answer emails from children and parents across the globe while at the NORAD Tracks Santa Operations Center on Peterson Air Force Base in Coloradoon Christmas Eve 2013. Credit: Master Sgt. Chuck Marsh/U.S. Air Force
The North American Aerospace Defense Command, also known as NORAD, will be tracking Santa as he makes his annual Christmas Eve trek across the globe.
NORAD is celebrating their 60th year of keeping tabs on the jolly fellow who travels on a sleigh pulled by a group of reindeer.
Those looking to see where Santa is can log on to the NORAD Santa Tracker website and see his current location. A hot line staffed by volunteers is also open for those who wish to call in and find out where Santa is. The number is 1-877-Hi-NORAD (1-877-446-6723).
The NORAD Santa Tracker website features holiday games, music and video of Santa for kids to enjoy when they’re on the website.
The NORAD Santa tracker started in the 1950s when a department store placed an advertisement in a Colorado Springs newspaper telling children to call Santa. The phone number printed with the print advertisement was wrong and directed callers to the command center for the agency that preceded NORAD, which is operated by the United State and Canada. A commanding officer instructed military personnel to tell the kids calling for Santa where he was at the moment. From there, the tradition has continued and grown over time.
The program is funded through corporate sponsorship and not taxpayer money, according to several reports.
