The North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) announced on Facebook at 6 a.m. today (6 p.m. Hanoi time) that "Santa Claus has officially departed from the North Pole." The command is actively tracking Santa's journey, a tradition that began nearly 70 years ago.
NORAD is live-streaming Santa Claus's journey with graphic images on its website and social media accounts. Information on the website indicates he delivered over 1 billion gifts in the first three hours of his global trek. This annual tracking allows people worldwide to follow Santa's progress as he delivers presents.
Santa Claus typically begins his journey along the International Date Line in the Pacific Ocean, according to CBS News. He then moves westward, making his initial stops in the South Pacific, New Zealand, and Australia. Following this, he zigzags across Asia, Africa, and Europe before crossing the Atlantic Ocean to Canada, the U.S., Mexico, Central and South America, ultimately returning to the North Pole.
NORAD experts explain that Santa Claus usually stops to deliver gifts between 9 p.m. and midnight in each time zone. They emphasize that tracking equipment cannot precisely predict his exact arrival time or location. "Only Santa Claus knows his route," NORAD announced, adding, "However, based on history, we know he only arrives when children are asleep."
The tradition of NORAD tracking Santa Claus dates back to 1955. It began when a child mistakenly called the Continental Air Defense Command (CONAD), NORAD's predecessor, and asked Colonel Harry Shoup if he was Santa Claus. Instead of dismissing the call, Colonel Shoup embraced the festive spirit.
Colonel Shoup replied that he was not Santa, but stated his command was tracking a person in a red suit flying. He then instructed his staff to tell callers they were tracking Santa Claus, thus initiating a beloved annual tradition that continues to this day. This heartwarming response laid the foundation for what would become one of the most anticipated Christmas Eve events.
Nhu Tam (According to NORAD Tracking Santa, CBS News)
