NORAD Tracks Santa Website

[erpowers]

Last edited Mon Dec 21, 2015, 06:14 PM - Edit history (1)

I realize some will have a problem with the militarization of Christmas, but I think NORAD's Santa Tracker website is pretty cool. The official story of how NORAD came to track Santa is funny, sweat, and surprising. According to NORAD, Sears Roebuck & Company ran an ad telling kids if they called the number in the ad they could talk to Santa. The number in the ad was misprinted and when kids tried to call Santa they were directed to the office of Colonel Harry Shoup, the then director of operations of CONAD, the predecessor of NORAD. Shoup instructed his staff to track the whereabouts of Santa and kids who called the line were given updates about Santa's location.

For years I have known NORAD tracked Santa on Christmas Eve, but I did not realize they had a website. I also did not know how they started tracking Santa.

http://www.noradsanta.org/?FORM=MT0004&OCID=MT0004&utm_source=Win10%20In%20Product&utm_medium=Win10%20In%20Product&utm_content=See%20him%20now&utm_campaign=NORAD%20on%20w10%20LockScreen

[enid602]

1. 9/11

And, yet they could not prevent 9/11.

[yeoman6987]

2. So cool. We use it in our family.

A wonderful tool for children to follow Santa. Life is so good for children now adays. We had to look up and hope to see the red light of Rudolph's nose. We all saw it miraculously. Of course that meant to bed immediately. Loved those times so much.

[merrily]

3. I have a problem with the militarization of Christmas but also with merger of church and state.

I don't care if the idiots on the SCOTUS think Santa is secular. Christmas is a Christian holiday, Santa means "saint" and Santa is the Orthodox/Catholic saint, Saint Nicholas.

Because of my own childhood memories, I love Santa, but not being promoted as real by the United States government or as associated with the United States government, esp the military.

[one_voice]

4. I don't have any little ones..

at home. But my now grown daughter and I still track Santa to see when he's near us.

[longship]

5. This is totally harmless.

Just like Virginia, there is a Santa Claus.

Of course, in today's market driven world those things can take on a more sinister tone. But seemingly we are all far beyond that point. It is so steeped into the culture that this does no significant further harm.

Plus, kids love Santa. Let them have him.