NORAD Tracks Santa

December 25, 2023 1:31 AM

What has become a great Christmas tradition is still going. Since 1955 NORAD has been tracking Santa as he delivers Christmas presents to children around the world.

Previously, previously, previously, previously, previously, previously and previously.

posted by Cardinal Fang (13 comments total)

Christmas eve would be the perfect time for Russia to nuke America. Launch in a pattern that shows up on radar as Santa and reindeer, followed by "Ho Ho Ho" in big letters.
posted by pracowity at 3:14 AM on December 25, 2023 [2 favorites]

flightrader is/was also tracking Santa - sadly they seem to have been unaware that timezone differences are different in Southern Hemisphere summer from Northern Hemisphere winter - according to them Santa left here in NZ long before midnight - his flight track was also decidedly broken
posted by mbo at 3:27 AM on December 25, 2023

This tradition started during the Cold War and was meant to keep Americans mindful of a possible attack by Russia. Today I'm not sure Russia has that capability.
posted by Great Lakes Unlimited at 3:29 AM on December 25, 2023

according to them Santa left here in NZ long before midnight - his flight track was also decidedly broken

maybe there was too much rum in the eggnog left for Santa?
posted by chavenet at 4:41 AM on December 25, 2023

This also gave us one of the darker Robot Chicken sketches as well.
posted by NoxAeternum at 4:46 AM on December 25, 2023

When I was a kid in NZ the TV news (we had just the one channel) would provide tracking of Santa .... he came from up from the South Pole - which makes sense, what with global warming the North Pole is sometimes open water, strangely the exact same TV channel (now one of hundreds on my satellite box) showed Santa coming from the North Pole last night.

My friend who wintered over at the actual South Pole reports no elves or reindeer so I guess I'm confused, maybe global warming will be the end of the fat man's present delivery gig
posted by mbo at 4:58 AM on December 25, 2023 [3 favorites]

For kids who are looking for factual engagement with other aspects of Santa there's also ELVES, the elite corps of veterinarians who support his reindeer team during his high-stakes night.
posted by potrzebie at 11:19 AM on December 25, 2023

Don't forget to tip the reindeer! They depend on your generosity to survive!
posted by Ickster at 12:36 PM on December 25, 2023 [1 favorite]

Christmas eve would be the perfect time for Russia to nuke America. Launch in a pattern that shows up on radar as Santa and reindeer, followed by "Ho Ho Ho" in big letters.

Теперь у меня есть ядерное оружие. Хо-хо-хо.
posted by kirkaracha at 6:39 PM on December 25, 2023 [2 favorites]

When I was a DoD contractor I worked on that site one year. True story.
posted by j_curiouser at 8:03 PM on December 25, 2023 [1 favorite]

> This tradition started during the Cold War

Santa is the reddest commie of them all.
posted by AlSweigart at 9:04 PM on December 25, 2023

Santa Clause has a red suit
He's a communist
And a beard, and long hair
Must be a pacifist
What's in the pipe that he's smoking?

Arlo Guthrie
posted by yyz at 8:03 AM on December 26, 2023 [1 favorite]

potrzebie, thanks for that link. It made me cry happy tears. I often worried about the reindeer as a child (and Santa too) because I was a highly anxious kid.
posted by kathrynm at 8:17 AM on December 26, 2023