(NewsNation) — With the countdown to Christmas underway, the North American Aerospace Defense Command is preparing to track Santa Claus and his reindeer when they take flight on Dec. 24.
For nearly 70 years, NORAD has been tracking Santa’s Christmas Eve flight as he races to bring presents to children around the world. According to the agency, the NORAD Track’s Santa website receives nearly 15 million visits from more than 200 countries each year. More than 1,000 military and civilian volunteers help to answer tens of thousands of incoming calls and emails from expectant children looking for status updates on his flight.
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NORAD notes that the tradition began back in 1955, when a young girl accidentally called an unlisted number for the Continental Air Defense Command (CONAD) Operations Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The girl thought she was calling Santa Claus after seeing a promotion in a local newspaper and was reassured by Air Force Colonel Harry Shoup that his team would make sure the merry man had a safe journey from the North Pole. The responsibility of tracking Santa Claus was taken on by NORAD when it was formed in 1958.
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While NORAD can track Santa Claus’s flight, the agency says it is unable to predict where and when he will arrive, but their research has found that he only arrives once children are asleep. As for his route, the agency notes that Santa Claus’s trip usually takes about 24 hours and tends to start at the International Date Line over the Pacific Ocean, before traveling west.
Any families looking to speak with a Santa Track at NORAD on Christmas Eve can give the agency a call at 1-877-HI-NORAD (1-877-446-6723)…