Christmas Eve is always full of excitement. The thought of Santa visiting that night gives kids those happy butterflies, and the anticipation of Christmas morning — wondering what will be waiting under the tree — brings back so many sweet memories for me.
When I became a mom, I loved creating traditions that make the season feel extra magical for my own family. One tradition I knew I had to carry on from my childhood was calling NORAD on Christmas Eve to track Santa’s sleigh.
THE HISTORY OF NORAD AND SANTA
NORAD stands for North American Aerospace Defense Command. It’s a joint organization run by the United States and Canada, led by a four-star general, and its job is to keep an eye on our skies and help protect North America.
So how does something that serious connect to Santa? It all goes back to Christmas Eve in 1955, when a simple misprint in a Sears newspaper ad — and a curious 5-year-old — helped create a holiday tradition that’s still going strong today
On that unforgettable Christmas Eve, Col. Harry Shoup was on duty and answered the phone expecting it to be the President or a four-star general on the other end. Instead, he heard a small voice asking, “Is this Santa Claus?”
Rather than hanging up, Col. Shoup leaned right into the magic. He assured the child that Santa was on his way and even called a local radio station to report an “unidentified flying object” in the sky — joking that it was Santa’s sleigh. As more excited calls from children came pouring in, he assigned a duty officer to help update callers on Santa’s location, turning a simple phone call into a Christmas tradition that’s still spreading joy today.
With a simple misprint in a newspaper advertisement—and the holiday spirit of a father who chose kindness and embraced the true spirit of Christmas—this beloved tradition was born. It has since grown into a cherished Christmas Eve ritual, allowing thousands of children each year to call NORAD and find out when Santa will arrive at their home.
Each Christmas Eve, more than 1,200 volunteers answer over 130,000 calls from excited children around the world, helping keep the magic of Christmas alive—one call at a time.
HOW CAN YOU TRACK SANTA WITH NORAD?
You can track Santa a few different ways:
- Call NORAD at 1-877-HI-NORAD
- Visit the NORAD Santa website
- Download the official NORAD Tracks Santa app (Apple App Store + Google Play)
- Find it on Amazon Alexa, SiriusXM, and OnStar
TRACK SANTA BELOW
Come back on Christmas Eve to see Santa's travels around the world until he gets to South Jersey!
Click the button below to give Santa a Call!
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