New Website Goes Live Dec. 1

The North American Aerospace Defense Command is prepared to track Santa's yuletide journey!  The newly redesigned NORAD Tracks Santa website goes live Sunday, Dec. 1 featuring a holiday countdown, daily games and activities, videos, music and more.  Beyond a new look, features such as a 3D globe and new interactive games take advantage of today's modern web.  The site is available in eight languages: English, French, Spanish, German, Italian, Japanese, Portuguese, and Chinese. 

The official NORAD Tracks Santa app is also available in the Windows, Apple and Android stores, so parents and children can count down the days until Santa's launch on their smart phones and tablets!  Tracking opportunities are also offered on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Google+.  Santa followers just need to type "@noradsanta" into each social media property to get started. 

Starting at 12:01 a.m. MST on Dec. 24, website visitors can watch Santa make preparations for his flight through the Bing maps and Cesium technology to track Santa with NORAD in 2D and 3D.  Then, at 4 a.m. MST (6 a.m. EST), trackers worldwide can speak with a live phone operator to inquire as to Santa's whereabouts by dialing the toll-free number 1-877-Hi-NORAD (1-877-446-6723) or by sending an email to noradtrackssanta@outlook.com.  OnStar subscribers can press the OnStar button in their vehicles to find Santa's location any time on Dec. 24. NORAD's "Santa Cams" will stream videos on the website as Santa makes his way over various locations.

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.

FMI: www.norad.mil