NORAD Tracks Santa Primer - Part 2 - Website

NORAD Tracks Santa is the oldest and most well known Santa Tracking service offered to the public during December of each year. This Santa Tracking service is provided under the auspices of NORAD, the North American Aerospace Defense Command, a joint organization of Canada and the United States. Every year on Christmas Eve, "NORAD Tracks Santa" is in the role of following Santa Claus, as he leaves the North Pole and delivers presents to children around the world. During December of each year the NORAD Tracks Santa program disseminates information about NORAD, Santa Claus, and why NORAD tracks Santa Claus, with an on-line Countdown Village to Christmas Eve, which some might consider a type of on-line "advent calendar", that features holiday-themed entertainment.

The Space Foundation has recognized the NORAD Tracks Santa program as a Corporate Patron Level Partner in the Certified Imagination Product Category of the Space Foundation's Space Certification Program. . The Space Foundation specifically cited NORAD and the NORAD Tracks Santa Program for their accomplishments as follows, "NORAD uses four high-tech systems to track Santa - radar, satellites, Santa Cams and jet fighter aircraft. Not only do these systems utilize a variety of technologies developed for the space program, but the tradition of tracking Santa's progress itself inspires children around the world to think about how space technology and exploration play an increasingly important role in our daily lives." 

The view of the NORAD Tracks Santa Program on Santa Claus is that "Based on historical data and more than 50 years of NORAD tracking information, we believe that Santa Claus is alive and well in the hearts of children throughout the world." The audience for the NORAD Tracks Santa Program are those who believe in the spirit of the winter holiday season and that Santa Claus is alive and real in one's heart. A sentiment illustrated in the editorial "Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus" that appeared in the September 21, 1897 issue of the New York Sun. Both Virginia's letter to the New York Sun and the editorial reply have been featured on the NORAD Tracks Santa website from its earliest years.

According to Gerry Bowler, a history professor at the University of Manitoba and the author of Santa Claus: A Biography, of The World Encyclopedia of Christmas, and webinar host at the University of Manitoba on Christmas and Santa Claus, the NORAD Tracks Santa program and the various Santa Tracking efforts are "one of the few modern additions to the centuries-old Santa Claus story that have stuck. . . NORAD (and others) . . ., take(s) an essential element of the Santa Claus story - his travels on Christmas Eve – and looks at it through a technological lens. It brought Santa into the 20th century." And into the 21st century as well.

Santa Tracker Theme Music Link to full size video

Historical Overview of the NORAD Track Santa Program
According to NORAD's official web page on the NORAD Tracks Santa program, the history of the Santa tracking effort is:

On December 24, 1955, a call was made to the Continental Air Defense Command (CONAD) Operations Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado. However, this call was not from the president or a general. It was from a girl in Colorado Springs who was following the directions in an advertisement printed in the local paper (Note - The newspaper was The Gazette of Colorado Springs. ) – she wanted to know the whereabouts of Santa Claus.

"The ad by a Colorado Springs-based Sears store said 'Hey, Kiddies! Call me direct and be sure and dial the correct number.' However, the number was printed incorrectly in the advertisement and rang into the CONAD operations center."

2005 MSNBC Cosmic Log - Santa Tracking Season - Colonel(Retired) Shoup Interview of November 28, 2005 by Alan Boyle. Link to full size video

On duty that night was Colonel Harry Shoup, who has come to be known as the "Santa Colonel." Colonel Shoup received numerous calls that night and rather than hanging up, he had his operators find the location of Santa Claus and reported it to every child who phoned in that night. (Note - Colonel(Retired) Harry Shoup, the first Santa Tracker, passed away on March 14, 2009, at the age of 91.   )

"Thus began a tradition carried on by the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) when it was formed in 1958. Today, through satellite systems, high-powered radars and jet fighters, NORAD tracks Santa Claus as he makes his Yuletide journey around the world."

"Every Christmas Eve, thousands of volunteers staff telephones and computers to answer calls and e-mails from children (and adults) from around the world. Live updates are provided through the NORAD Tracks Santa Web site (in seven languages [Note - these languages include English, Chinese, French, German, Italian, Japanese, and Spanish, with Brazilian Portuguese used in prior years] ), over telephone lines, and by e-mail to keep curious children and their families informed about Santa’s whereabouts and if it’s time to get to bed."

"Each year, the NORAD Tracks Santa Web Site receives nearly nine million unique visitors from more than 200 countries and territories around the world. Volunteers receive more than 12,000 e-mails and more than 70,000 calls to the NORAD Tracks Santa hotline from children around the globe."

"From December 2009 onward, children and the young-at-heart are able to track Santa through Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Flickr, and TroopTube.tv. To follow NORAD Tracks Santa on any of these Web sites, type in @noradsanta into the search engine and start tracking."

"NORAD Tracks Santa has become a magical and global phenomenon, delighting generations of families everywhere."

Now major media outlets as well as children call in to inquire on Santa's location. NORAD relies on volunteers to help make Santa tracking possible. Many employees at Cheyenne Mountain and Peterson Air Force Base spend part of their Christmas Eve with their families and friends at NORAD's Santa Tracking Operations Center, in order to answer phones and provide Santa updates to thousands of callers. All told, each volunteer handles about 40 telephone calls per hour, and the team typically handles more than 12,000 e-mails and more than 70,000 telephone calls from more than 200 countries and territories during a NORAD Tracks Santa season. Most of these contacts happen during the 25 hours from 2 a.m. on December 24 through 3 a.m. on Christmas that the operations center is up and running.

NORAD Tracks Santa Website
The layout of the NORAD Tracks Santa website and its webpages have changed from 1997 to the present. Reasons are due to changes: 1) in internet and web technologies, and 2) as to who the NORAD Tracks Santa program partners and sponsors are for a particular year.

Homepage
Typically from early January (Epiphany or "Three Kings Day") thru November 30 (though for the 2012 season it is 27 December 2011 to at least 30 November 2012), when one arrives at the NORAD Tracks Santa website, one is greeted with a webpage to come back in December to track Santa with NORAD. In some years, one is also told that for more information about NORAD's mission, to go to NORAD's website and to NORAD's Facebook.





During December, when one arrives at the NORAD Tracks Santa website, one is first asked to select one of these eight (8) languages - English, Chinese, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Brazilian Portuguese, or Spanish.



Once a language is selected, a homepage in the chosen language appears. During December, this homepage will feature:


 * 1) A toolbar of "Home", "Videos", "Track Santa in Google Earth", "Kids' Countdown", "About Santa", "About NORAD", and "Contact Us".


 * 2) For 2009 and 2010, a weblink to download iGoogle Gadget in order to add "NORAD Tracks Santa" to one's iGoogle page.


 * 3) A weblink to follow NORAD tracking Santa on Facebook, on Google+ page, and Twitter.


 * 4) For 2009 and 2010, a weblink to see a gallery of NORAD Tracks Santa program photos on Picassa.


 * 5) From 1 December until Christmas Eve one sees these weblinks.


 * a) A weblink to play an embedded YouTube video trailer of the current NORAD Tracks Santa season.


 * b) A countdown display of the number of days, hours, minutes, and seconds remaining until Santa's Christmas Eve journey begins.


 * c) A weblink to Santa's Kid's Countdown Village webpage at the NORAD Tracks Santa website.


 * d) For 2010 only, a weblink to the Colorado Springs School District 11 webpage at the NORAD Tracks Santa website (English language webpages only). See article Colorado Springs School District 11 for more information.


 * e) Starting in 2011, weblinks to the Apple iTunes Store and the Android Market, in order to obtain free apps that countdown the days until Santa's takeoff on Christmas Eve


 * 6) From Christmas Eve onward, the Pre-Christmas Eve weblinks are replaced with a NORAD Tracks Santa interactive a two-dimensional (2-D) Santa tracking map and a "NORAD Santa Tracker Tips and Tricks" weblink.





Countdown Village
Kids' Countdown Village Theme Music of 2010 Link to full size video

Since the 2007 NORAD Tracking Santa season, during December of each year, the NORAD Tracks Santa website features an interactive Kids' Countdown Village, with a display of the days remaining until Santa’s Christmas Eve flight will begin. The Countdown Village includes games and activities for children and the young at heart of all ages, such as crossword puzzles, interactive video games, and memory cards. For example, one game lets children help Santa stack presents efficiently on his sleigh so he can fit in as many as possible without any falling out. Another popular game is a create-a-snowman game, where children select eyes, a nose, mouth, and so on to build their own snowman.





During December at the Countdown Village, are daily changing "Hot Updates" from the North Pole.

In 2011, music in Countdown Village is provided by the U.S. Air Force Academy Band, the Canadian Naden Band of the Maritime Forces Pacific , the U.S. Coast Guard Band , the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy Band , and the West Point Band.

In 2011, there were 23 games in Countdown Village, with a new overall Countdown Village music theme. A game would become active on its designated countdown day to Santa's flight on 24 December. Most of the games would feature its own music. The 2011 Countdown Village games were:

Two-Dimensional (2-D) Santa Tracking Map and Christmas Eve Onward Homepage
During December and before December 24 (Christmas Eve), the NORAD Tracks Santa website's interactive a two-dimensional (2-D) Santa tracking map tab is not visible. If one links directly to the two-dimensional (2-D) Santa tracking map webpage, one sees the following:



Starting on December 24 for Christmas Eve, the NORAD Tracks Santa website homepage features an interactive a two-dimensional (2-D) Santa tracking map, showing in real-time the places that Santa has visited and if the visited location has a Santa Cam. This is shown on the map with "gift icons" for the places that Santa has visited and "video icons" for the places visited had a Santa Cam. Since 2007, this two-dimensional (2-D) Santa tracking map has used Google Maps capabilities and technology. Google provides a weblink to "NORAD Santa Tracker Tips and Tricks", from the NORAD Tracks Santa website homepage, in order to help visitors navigate this feature.

At the start Christmas Eve on 24 December, from about 0200 hrs (Eastern Time) to 0400 hrs (Eastern Time) one sees Santa Claus at the North Pole going thru final preparation activity on both the Tracking map and when you use the link to Google Earth.

Gift icon on Map: When one clicks on a gift icon on the map, pop-up information about that location is displayed, to include a photo, along with links to obtain additional information from Wikipedia, obtain additional photos of the selected location from Panoramio, and a link to zoom in on the selected location.

Video icon on Map: When one clicks on a video icon on the map, a pop-up with a Santa Cam video and information about that location are displayed, along with links to obtain additional information from Wikipedia, and a link to zoom in on the selected location.

At the end of Santa Claus's journey, the NORAD Tracks Santa Tracking Map webpage shows the following:



Track Santa in Google Earth Webpage
During December and before December 24 (Christmas Eve), the NORAD Tracks Santa website's "Track Santa in Google Earth" webpage shows this message, "Track in Google Earth - In addition to tracking Santa on the NORAD Tracks Santa homepage, you can also track his flight in Google Earth. Return to this page on Christmas Eve."



If one's computer does not have Google Earth installed this additional message is shown "Google Earth is not installed on your computer. Download it by clicking the button below."



On Christmas Eve, this webpage called "Track Santa in Google Earth" becomes available. This webpage enables one to follow Santa's journey in real-time using Google Earth's immersive three-dimensional (3-D) environment directly within one's web browser, after installing the Google Earth plug-in. While one was able to use Google Earth's capabilities starting with the 2007 NORAD Tracking Santa season to track Santa, it was only starting with the 2009 NORAD Tracking Santa season that one could use Google Earth's immersive three-dimensional (3-D) environment directly within one's web browser.

Once Santa Claus departs the North Pole on his  Christmas Eve journey, Santa Claus will be in two (2) modes:  1) Journeying to a gift delivery point, or  2) Delivering gifts so fast that all you see is a series of red streaks.

Using the Google Earth Navigation Globe and one’s computer mouse (see Advanced features and tutorials: Navigating on Google Earth), one can change the orientation of Santa Claus and his sleigh while on his Christmas Eve journey and also “zoom in” for a close-up.

After Santa Claus' stops in Hawaii and on his return journey to the North Pole, one sees on the the Track Santa in Google Earth Webpage, that he has delivered 1,900,000,000 (1.9 billion) gifts to children and families across the world.

At the end of Santa Claus' journey, the NORAD Tracks Santa Google Earth webpage shows the following:



Santa Cam Videos Webpage
A popular webpage on Christmas Eve is the Videos webpage, that is updated generally each hour, to show a Santa Cam video of a CGI-rendered Santa flying over major cities in the different time zones where it is midnight. The videos feature a voiceover, that is typically done by NORAD staff, explaining Santa's location with facts about Santa and the country and city which Santa has just visited. Starting with the 2007 NORAD Tracking Santa season, YouTube capabilities have been used at the Santa Cam Videos Webpage.



In December 2011, prior to Christmas Eve, the Videos webpage featured the NORAD Tracks Santa Trailer and a link to the the NORADTracksSanta Channel on YouTube.



In December 2010, prior to Christmas Eve, the Videos webpage featured the NORAD Tracks Santa Trailer and, for the English language webpages, a link to the Holiday Videos webpage that has invited student videos from around the world. See article Holiday Videos from Around the World for more information.



Other Webpages at the NORAD Tracks Santa Website
Other webpages available during December at the NORAD Tracks Santa website are:


 * 1) the "About Santa" webpages (for 2011 this includes sending personalized video messages from Santa Claus at the North Pole), that cover Is Santa Real ?", Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)", and "Santa Snacks".


 * 2) the "About NORAD" webpages, that cover the "North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD)", "Why NORAD Tracks Santa, and "How NORAD Tracks Santa", and new in 2011, for the English language webpages, "Operation Good Will".


 * 3) the "Contact Us" webpages, that cover "Technical Support", the "Team of NORAD Tracks Santa Partners",for the current tracking season, and "Media Information and Contacts".


 * 4) For 2010 only, for the English language webpages, the Colorado Springs School District 11 webpage at the NORAD Tracks Santa website.


 * 5) From 2010 on, for the English language webpages, the invited Holiday Videos from Around the World webpage at the NORAD Tracks Santa website.

In past years, primarily from 2000 thru 2006, the NORAD Tracks Santa website featured downloadable files such as: printable world maps to help track Santa's progress, Christmas puzzles and games, coloring pages, bookmarks, wallpaper, NORAD Tracks Santa trailer video clips, celebrity audio and video messages, and Christmas music and holiday season music from the U.S. Air Force Academy Band, the U.S. Air Force Band of the Rockies (which since October 1, 2003 is now the Marching Band of the U.S. Air Force Academy Band, and from 1973 to 2003 was the band assigned to Headquarters, Air Force Space Command, also located in Colorado Springs) , the Naden Band of the Canadian Maritime Forces Pacific , The Gaither Vocal Band, Linda Purl, Ringo Starr, the U.S. Air Force Band of Mid-America , the Royal Canadian Artillery Band , and others.

Santa Cam and Related Videos for NORAD Tracks Santa
The NORAD Tracks Santa website Videos webpage is updated, generally each hour, to show a Santa Cam video of a CGI-rendered Santa flying over major cities in the different time zones where it is midnight. The videos feature a voiceover, that is typically done by NORAD staff, explaining Santa's location with facts about Santa and the country and city which Santa has just visited.

Celebrity voiceovers have also been done over the years. For the London Santa Cam video, British celebrity and television presenter Jonathan Ross did the voiceover for 2005 thru 2007 and the former Beatle star Ringo Starr was an honorary Santa Tracker and voiceover for London in 2003 and 2004. Paul Harvey was also an honorary Santa Tracker and did the voiceover for the St. Louis, Missouri Santa Cam in 2003. In 2002, Aaron Carter was an honorary Santa Tracker and provided voice updates about Santa's whereabouts as he helped NORAD track Santa's progress on Christmas Eve in 2002. The Santa Cam locations announced by Aaron Carter for the 2002 NORAD Tracks Santa season were: 1) Auckland, New Zealand, 2) Athens,Greece, and 3) Colorado Springs.

The locations of some of the Santa Cam videos have changed over the years. In 2009, a record 28 Santa Cam videos were posted at the NORAD Tracks Santa website's Videos webpage. In other years, generally 24 to 25 Santa Cam videos were posted at the NORAD Tracks Santa website's Videos webpage.

Celebrity Video and Audio Messages for NORAD Tracks Santa
As part of celebrating the fiftieth (50th) tracking season of NORAD's annual tracking of Santa Claus in 2004, the NORAD Tracks Santa website featured many celebrity video and audio messages.

The 2005 and 2006 tracking seasons of NORAD Tracking Santa also featured many celebrity video messages at the NORAD Tracks Santa website. These celebrity video messages were prepared in conjunction with NORAD's participation in the annual Hollywood Christmas Parade in 2005 and 2006.