It’s Christmas Eve 2020, and all around the world kids are excited for their visit from Santa Claus – but what about those who actually want to track Jolly Old Saint Nick as he does his duty? Well, for that you need the help of the NORAD (North American Aerospace Defense Command) and its annual “Santa Tracker” radar. The adorable website shows Santa Claus making his way around the globe (complete with sleigh and reindeer) on GPS, while also tracking the number of gifts he’s delivering. It’s a great activity for the family – especially for Christmas 2020, as this year has seen so many of our traditions go virtual. At least this is a nice spin on that concept.
Here are the features available in the NORAD Santa Tracker:
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Track Santa’s route in 3D. Use the navigation controls on the upper right to change the view. Icons show locations Santa has been spotted. Click on an icon to learn more about the location. Video icons indicate that Santa Cams have recorded footage of Santa at that location. Click on an icon to watch the video.
The toolbar on the upper left is used to change the camera between following Santa and free roaming, to switch between 3D and 2D, and for other tasks.
In addition to the navigation controls, hold the left mouse button and drag to rotate the view, and use the mouse wheel to zoom in and out.
Here’s the info on the annual Santa Tracking tradition, from NORAD Tracks Santa’s Facebook Page:
A family friendly program by the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) to track Santa December 24th around the world using military sensors and technology. The NORAD Tracks Santa website, www.noradsanta.org, goes live each Dec. 1 with games, videos, information and more! Then we track Santa Dec. 24.
The nice thing about the Santa Tracker is that it really gives perspective on Santa as a worldwide icon. It strips away the other particulars of the legend, and let’s kids know that no matter where they are on planet Earth, Santa can make his way to them- and they can see exactly when he arrives in their neck of the woods. Of course, watching the computer screen, you’ll probably miss Santa in person when he slides down the chimney!
As stated, Christmas 2020 is a year when kids may especially need the confidence boost of knowing that Santa is coming their way – despite the COVID-19 pandemic. The CDC and Dr. Anthony Fauci have been assuring kids that Santa is already vaccinated against the coronavirus.
Merry Christmas to all!
