Track Santa as He Heads to Your Ho-Ho-Home!

NORAD’s stealth operations are locked and loaded as their elusive target whizzes by! Not on a garden-variety mission, the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) seeks out this high-profile individual, plus his high-flying nine-man posse (ahem, herd), as he makes his world-spanning rounds.

WANTED: A jovial, somewhat rotund fellow donning a beard and red suit who answers to many aliases, among them “St. Nick,” “Kris Kringle,” and more commonly among these parts, “Santa Claus.”

As has been tradition every Christmas Eve for more than 55 years, NORAD will once again track Santa and his faithful reindeer as they circumnavigate the globe, dropping off presents for all those on the nice list. From the time they depart the North Pole around 5:00 a.m. ET on December 24 and for the following 24 hours, watch as NORAD provides up-to-the-second status reports as Santa and crew make their way toward your Christmas tree.

NORAD employs state-of-the art equipment, including a powerful radar system, glowing-nose-seeking satellites, a vast network of worldwide Santa Cams, and even fighter jets. For the mobile experience, count down Santa’s North Pole departure (and play holiday-themed games while you wait) with the free NORAD Tracks Santa app, available for iPhones, Windows-enabled devices, and Google Play. Don’t forget to put out the milk and cookies.

And from all of us at SmarterTravel.com, have a joyous holiday and a prosperous New Year!

(Photo: Santa Sleigh Ride, Moon Background via Shutterstock)