From A Sears Typo To 70 Years Of Santa Tracking: The NORAD Holiday Tradition

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — A typo in a Sears holiday ad is marking its 70th year as one of Christmas Eve’s most beloved traditions.

In 1955, a Sears newspaper flyer invited children to call Santa Claus but mistakenly printed the wrong phone number. Instead of reaching the North Pole, the calls were routed to a secure military command center in Colorado Springs. Rather than hanging up, the officer on duty chose to play along — setting off a chain of events that became what is now known as NORAD Tracks Santa.

Seven decades later, the tradition continues to captivate families around the world, turning a Cold War defense post into an unlikely symbol of holiday magic.

On duty that night was U.S. Air Force Col. Harry Shoup, stationed at the Continental Air Defense Command (CONAD), which monitored the skies for Soviet threats during the Cold War. When the phone rang, Shoup expected a serious call — not a child’s voice asking, “Is this Santa?”

Rather than hang up, he leaned in.

Shoup told the young caller that yes, Santa was visible on radar and on his way. Then he instructed his staff to play along. They marked Santa’s location on their operations board, took more calls, and unknowingly launched what would become one of the longest-running holiday traditions in the world.

The Military’s Most Magical Assignment

Just a few years later, in 1958, CONAD became the North American Aerospace Defense Command — NORAD — a joint U.S.-Canadian command responsible for monitoring North American airspace. The Santa tracking tradition went with it.

Today, NORAD Tracks Santa is a full-scale operation. On Christmas Eve each year, starting at 6 a.m. Eastern, the command center provides real-time updates on Santa’s sleigh using radar, satellite tracking, and even jet escort reports.

Powered By Volunteers And Imagination

What makes the NORAD Santa Tracker special is not just the technology, but the people behind it. Hundreds of volunteers, including service members and civilians, help answer calls, emails, and online messages from families around the world. For one night a year, a military command center becomes a hub of holiday excitement.

Over the decades, the tradition has expanded from phone calls to interactive websites, apps, and social media updates, allowing families everywhere to join in — no matter where they live.

While NORAD’s primary role remains defense, every December it shifts gears for 24 hours of cheer.

Col. Shoup, who died in 2009, became affectionately known as “the Santa Colonel.” His family has said he never expected the story to last more than one night — but he was glad it did.

A Holiday Tradition

Parents who once followed Santa’s route as children now sit beside their own kids, watching the same tracker and continuing the tradition. What started as a printing error has become one of the longest-running Christmas Eve rituals in the world.

HOW TO TRACK SANTA
• Website: noradsanta.org
• Call center: 1-877-HI-NORAD

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