Santa Is on His Way, Albeit Wearing a Mask
Children all over the world can relax. Neither snow nor rain nor gloom nor the pandemic will stay Santa Claus from making his rounds this Christmas Eve. As of this writing, he is heading for Sapporo, Japan, and has already delivered more than one billion gifts to children throughout the world, according to NORAD’s Santa […]
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Children all over the world can relax. Neither snow nor rain nor gloom nor the pandemic will stay Santa Claus from making his rounds this Christmas Eve.
As of this writing, he is heading for Sapporo, Japan, and has already delivered more than one billion gifts to children throughout the world, according to NORAD’s Santa Tracker.
As it has been doing for 65 years the North American Aerospace Defense Command is tracking Santa and protecting the skies over the US and Canada.
According to NORAD:
Despite the challenges presented by COVID-19, the NORAD Tracks Santa program is on schedule and NORAD will track Santa on Dec. 24, as we have done every year since 1955.
The only difference this year is that Santa is wearing a mask. Furthermore, children (and their parents) need not worry about Santa’s health or the virus as the nation’s top infectious disease expert, Dr. Anthony Fauci has assured Sesame Street’s Elmo that he has personally administered the Covid-19 vaccine to Santa at the North Pole.
Here is the NORAD-Santa story summarized and updated from a 2013 piece at the Huffington Post:
For 65 years, the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) and its predecessor, the Continental Air Defense Command (CONAD) have tracked Santa’s flight.
The story goes that, in 1955, a Colorado Springs-based Sears Roebuck & Co. advertisement for children to call Santa misprinted the telephone number. Instead of reaching Santa, the phone number put kids through to the CONAD Commander-in-Chief’s operations “hotline.” The Director of Operations at the time, Colonel Harry Shoup, had his staff check the radar for indications of Santa making his way south from the North Pole. Children who called were given updates on his location, and the tradition was born.
Since that time, NORAD men, women, family and friends have selflessly volunteered their time to personally respond to phone calls and emails from children all around the world. In addition, NORAD now tracks Santa using the internet. Millions of people who want to know Santa’s whereabouts now visit the NORAD Tracks Santa website.
And, once again this Christmas, NORAD is ready to track, escort and assist Santa as he makes his way to North American homes and to children throughout the world with a sleigh loaded with gifts for all those who have been good…
Katie Lange at The Stars and Stripes has a more extended writeup on “How NORAD’s Santa Tracker Started” and includes information on what it takes to make Santa’s trip successful and how kids can call or email the tracking center to see where Santa is:
Tracking Santa is a big task that begins in November, when NORADSanta.org starts getting inquiries from families. About 70 government and nongovernment contributors help set up the site, apps and phone lines, while more than 1,500 uniformed personnel, Department of Defense civilians and their families volunteer time on Christmas Eve to answer the children’s questions on Santa’s whereabouts.
Schlachter said more than 200 countries and territories visit the website. In 2017, it got 18 million pageviews, and the Facebook page had 1.75 million followers. The NORAD Tracks Santa program also received 126,103 calls and answered 2,030 emails, and OnStar received 7,477 requests to locate Santa.
“I think it’s an important tradition. We’re happy to be part of that family experience,” Schlachter said.
The call center opens at 6 a.m. EST Dec. 24. Kids can call 1-877-Hi-NORAD (446-6723) or email noradtrackssanta@outlook.com to find out where he is. But NTS officials warned that Santa only comes if children are asleep, so make sure they get into bed early so he doesn’t miss your house.
“Have fun tracking him, and be sure to leave some carrots for the reindeer with Santa’s milk and cookies!,” Lange concludes.
This writer adds: And a Merry Christmas to all.
The post Santa Is on His Way, Albeit Wearing a Mask appeared first on The Moderate Voice.