By James Anderson -
The Associated Press
Girls and boys of all ages can rest assured: Santa Claus will arrive this Christmas Eve and a second holiday amid the COVID-19 pandemic will not stop him.
At least that has promised the joint military operation of the United States and Canada that
has been tracking Santa Claus in his global mission for 66 years
and ensures - before by landline and now via mobile with iPhone, Android, the OnStar company and the applications Facebook and YouTube, among others - that he is on his way in his sleigh packed with toys and a dose of joy.
In what has become a popular tradition, the Colorado-based North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD)
offers real-time updates of Santa's trip
from 4 a.m. to midnight on December 24. .
The NORAD tracker allows families to see Santa Claus in 3D as he traverses the South Pacific, Asia, Africa, Europe and America.
This is how NORAD follows Santa Claus on Christmas Eve.
Photo from a media visit at the Canadian Forces Base in North Bay on Dec. 9, 2021, Sable Brown / AP
From inside NORAD headquarters, dozens of volunteers answer the relentless wave of calls at 1-877-HI-NORAD (1-877-446-6723).
They and others, who collaborate remotely for coronavirus social distancing protocols, answer questions like
“When will Santa come to my house?
What kind of cookies do you like? "
said Preston Schlachter, program director and spokesperson for NORAD.
Every home, every country has had to deal with the impact of this pandemic.
Santa Claus is an icon and is a source of joy for many people "
Preston Schlachter DIRECTOR OF NORA
Would you like to see it?
Visit this page, or you can check the hashtag #NORADTracksSanta and the account @NoradSanta on the social network Twitter, or use the related applications.
You can also request updates by emailing noradtrackssanta@outlook.com.
Even before Santa took off on Friday, the NORAD website already had 3 million hits, Schlachter said.
“Every home, every country has had to deal with the impact of this pandemic.
Santa Claus is an icon and is a source of joy for many people
”, he recalled.
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For those concerned about Santa's safety - and yours, too - the bearded man will wear a mask at every station and, of course, will be wearing gloves, Schlachter said.
For those who like the technical part more,
the NORAD web portal offers more data on the trip such
as the weight of the gifts when taking off: 60,000 tons or 54,600 metric tons;
Sled propulsion: 9 RP (rocket propellant), or force reindeer.
Like any good Christmas story, the origin of this show has been told for generations.
[Santa Claus finds a boyfriend in this Christmas commercial from the Norwegian Postal Service]
In 1955, Harry Shoup, Air Force colonel and night shift commander at NORAD's predecessor, Continental Air Defense Command, answered a call from a boy who, thinking he was talking to Santa, reached the number printed on an ad in the newspaper.
Shoup “answered the call, at first he thought it was a joke, but then he understood what was happening and
assured the boy that he was Santa and thus began the tradition
that we continue to celebrate 66 years later,” explained Schlachter.
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NORAD's mission is to monitor the North American skies for any potential threats.
On Christmas Eve, Santa's operation begins when a group of radar stations in northern Canada and Alaska pick up an infrared signal coming from Rudolph's nose.
Thus, NORAD geostationary satellites on Earth monitor the journey.
Everything is displayed on large festively decorated “unclassified” screens at the command center at Peterson Space Force Base in Colorado Springs.
[This puppy carries a message of love and hope dressed as Santa Claus in Colombia]
Volunteers in masks sit at tables equipped with telephones, garlands, miniature Christmas trees, lots of coffee, candy, and hand sanitizer.
"We have vigilance" is the motto of NORAD's military mission.
And when it comes to Santa they say:
“Santa Claus is the voice of command.
We just track it. "