Christmas 2018: NORAD Tracks Santa; Play Games, Listen To Music

Have kids and wonder what they can do to keep themselves busy during the Christmas holidays? If they believe in Santa Claus, then the NORAD Tracks Santa website can help you out. It features Santa's North Pole village, a holiday countdown, tons of games, music and activities.

Plus the website is available in eight different languages.

While the website launched Dec. 1, NORAD starts its Santa tracking operation at 2:01 a.m. EST Dec. 24, Christmas Eve.

How To Follow Along

Starting at 6 a.m. Christmas Eve, children and parents can call the NORAD operations floor at 1-877-Hi-NORAD (1-877-446-6723) or send an email to noradtrackssanta@outlook.com for live updates.

Then, at any time on Dec. 24, Amazon Alexa users can ask for Santa's location through the NORAD Tracks Santa skill for Amazon Alexa.

More Than 60 Years? Really?

It all started in 1955 when a local media advertisement directed children to call Santa direct — only the number was misprinted. Instead of reaching Santa, the phone rang through to the Crew Commander on duty at the Continental Air Defense Command Operations Center. Thus began the tradition, which NORAD carried on since it was created in 1958.

The Eastern Air Defense Sector is a North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) headquarters unit located at the Griffiss Business and Technology Park in Rome, New York. Responsible for the air defense of the eastern United States, EADS is composed of New York Air National Guardsmen from the 224th Air Defense Group, a Canadian Forces detachment, Army, Navy and Coast Guard liaison officers, and federal civilians. EADS also has two detachments located in the National Capital Region.

Santa Tracking Map

And check back with Patch on Christmas Eve and we'll have the NTS tracking map embedded on our site so your children and you can follow along as Santa and his reindeer make their way across the globe delivering toys to all the good little children.

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Logo: NORAD.