"I am my family’s unofficial Santa tracker. Long before I had a child of my own, my nephew and I began my favorite Christmas Eve tradition. And it’s stuck with our family for over 15 years!
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My oldest nephew is now 21. But he can tell you exactly how we started our family’s Santa tracking tradition. He was about 6 years old, and he and I were working on a gingerbread house when we overheard someone say, “You know you can track where Santa is on the computer?” We went running, and his little face just lit up. We checked back in on Santa every 20 minutes or so until he started making his way to the New York area (where we were that year), and then it was time to go to sleep so Santa could come with the presents.
This continued for a couple of years until his little brother and my other little nephew were old enough to be interested. At that point, my oldest nephew was probably 10 and in on the secret, so he and I helped the littler ones track and get excited.
This went on for years. As the youngest aunt, I became the resident Santa tracking assistant, and as the kids got older, they got excited to pass this on to the younger ones.
If you’re looking for a new Christmas Eve tradition this year, this is why I strongly recommend adding a Santa tracker to the night!
What Is the NORAD Santa Tracker?
What I didn’t know is the amazing history of the NORAD Santa tracker. Did you know that it’s been going since 1948? And that it was a total fluke. Me neither!
Let’s back track: NORAD is the North American Aerospace Defense Command (yeah, they’ve been a bit busy tracking other flying objects lately). But the Santa tracking tradition actually began with the Air Force. On Christmas Eve in 1948, the U.S. Air Force issued a statement that there was “one unidentified sleigh, powered by eight reindeer, at 14,000 feet [4,300 meters], heading 180 degrees.” The Associated Press got in on the fun and passed this unofficial report on to the public.
In 1955, a Sears department store placed an ad in a local Colorado newspaper with a fake phone number to call Santa Claus. An unsuspecting kid called the wrong number, and by mistake, got the Colorado Springs’ Continental Air Defense Command (CONAD) Center. The officer on duty got in on the fun and told the child he was tracking Santa’s position and where he was at that time. And thus began a long-standing tradition of Santa tracking!
What Makes Tracking Santa Special?
For me, it was always the kids’ excitement and wonder. They would sit there amazed that they could see Santa was all over the world.
The Santa tracker also becomes part of our Christmas treats baking tradition. We always make cookies for Santa, so we make sure that we start them when he’s far away enough, and then we leave them out when he starts making his way to the Northeast and is closer.
The most special part of this tradition for me has been watching it pass down to the younger generation. The fact that my little guy sits with his cousins on Christmas Eve all excited is the sweetest thing to me. Feels like we started our own little family tradition that the older boys can take over.
We also use it as a way to check in on family and friends who are far away over the holidays. I remember my son last year getting especially excited when Santa was flying over his grandma’s house or over Brazil, where many other cousins live. It gave us a chance to call them and let them know, “Hey, Santa is coming to you!”
There’s also a “Santa cam” that uses animated videos to show special things about each location Santa is visiting around the world. Making this a really great educational experience, too!
How Can I Track Santa with NORAD?
We usually use the Santa tracker directly on a computer web browser since we started this tradition way back in 2007. Now, the NORAD Santa tracker has mobile apps, a chat feature, and you can watch the tracker on a SmartTV. You can, of course, still call to get direct updates from the North Pole (1-877-HI-NORAD). NORAD has thousands of volunteers on deck Christmas Eve to keep kids up to date on Santa’s location.
You can also use your Amazon Alexa to track Santa with NORAD. I picture, “Alexa, where is Santa right now?” being asked a lot at our house this year.
Is There a Google Santa Tracker?
Of course, Google has gotten in on the Santa tracking action with their very own Santa tracker. The tracker is part of Google’s online Santa Village, and I’m kind of loving this one for how kid-friendly it is. Before the action starts on Christmas Eve, the Google Santa village has a countdown, so many games, Santa selfies, and more. The Google Santa Tracker goes into action officially on the 24th, so we’ll be using a mix of this one and NORAD this year.
Whether you use the NORAD Santa Tracker, Google Santa Tracker, or no tracker at all, it’s just small traditions like these that make this holiday season so magical. My theory on Christmas is that it doesn’t have to be big to make a lasting impact; it just has to be something that you can experience together and gives a little sense of wonder.
Roberta Correia, Editor-in-Chief
Roberta is an editor with 10+ years experience in content strategy and brand building. Before joining The Everymom she was Editorial Director at Brides and previously served as Digital Editor at Women’s Wear Daily. She grew up in Brazil and currently calls Brooklyn home with her son, Lucas.