St. Nick's world-famous sled, led by Rudolph, has dashed across most of the world and is currently covering the Americas on a daring 24-hour marathon to deliver gifts to children across the world.
At least that's what the official NORAD Santa Tracking website, run by the North American Aerospace Defense Command, says.
The military agency responsible for monitor and defense of the skies above North America has continued the tradition of providing real-time tracking system for Santa Claus at its NORAD Santa Tracker website, which shows where Kris Kringle was last spotted, where he is projected to be headed next and when he is due to arrive, as well as how many gifts have been delivered so far. This is provided with a 3D or 2D image of Santa's trip across the world from the night of Christmas Eve.
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This image provided by NORAD shows NORAD's Santa Tracker. (AP-Yonhap) |
According to the website, the annual trip led by Father Christmas set off from the North Pole, working his way west from the Pacific Ocean, before traveling through Asia, Europe and Africa. Santa made a special stop by Antarctica before heading up through the Americas. As always, the sled is being pulled by his trusted team of reindeers: Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner and Blitzen, with Rudolph in front lighting the way.
The 67-year-old tradition started during the Cold War, with a wrong number on Christmas Eve in 1955. According to NORAD, a young child misdialing somehow ended up calling the Continental Air Defense Command Operations Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
US Air Force Col. Harry Shoup, the commander on duty, assured the child that he was Santa, and thus a tradition of tracking Santa Claus' location from Christmas Eve was born.
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In this photo released by the U.S. Department of Defense, volunteers answer phones and emails from children around the globe during annual NORAD Tracks Santa event at Peterson Air Force Base in Colorado Springs, Colo., on Saturday. (AP-Yonhap) |
