For as long as we can remember, the magic of the festive season has seen children throughout the years wait up all night on December 24, eager to catch a glimpse of the big man himself.
Waiting with deep anticipation to see Father Christmas drop off the presents beneath the tree is a cherished part of the holidays for kids around the world.
However, in recent times Santa has made it easier to know his whereabouts by going digital – little ones can track his reindeer-pulled sleigh as it makes his way across the globe.
This year, more than half of all younger kids in Britain, aged eight and under, will be checking his Christmas Eve progress online.
A new poll commissioned by Vodafone found that 58 per cent of parents with children who believe in Father Christmas, plan to keep tabs on his location using phones and other devices.
This year, more than half of all younger kids in Britain, aged eight and under, will be checking his Christmas Eve progress digitally using phones, apps or the NORAD Santa tracker website (pictured)
Little ones will watch him move from country to country using a Santa tracker website or app, hope to catch a glimpse of him on their Ring doorbell feed (with a little help from parents) or by receiving a video message from Santa himself.
Millions of excited youngsters will follow the bearded benefactor’s journey using sites like the NORAD tracker.
The average age at which little ones stop believing in Santa is eight and there are thought to be around 7 million under-eights in the UK, who will be watching with hope and excitement.
What is the NORAD Santa tracker?
The North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) track the jolly bearded man’s journey every year.
NORAD is a joint organisation of the United States and Canada that defends the continent from potential incoming airborne threats 365 days per year.
Their predecessor predecessor, the Continental Air Defense Command (CONAD), began tracking Santa in 1955.
NORAD replaced CONAD in 1958 and took over the mission of tracking Santa’s flight around the world, and have been doing it every year since.
The North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) track the jolly bearded man’s journey every year
For twenty four hours every day NORAD tracks airplanes, missiles, space launches and anything else that flies in or around the North American continent.
On Christmas Eve, they take on the momentous job of following Saint Nicholas on behalf of everyone tucked up in bed waiting.
Their website states: ‘While the tradition of tracking Santa began purely by accident, NORAD continues to track Santa.
‘We’re the only organization that has the technology, the qualifications, and the people to do it. And, we love it! NORAD is honored to be Santa’s official tracker’.
It also reveals that: ‘Based on flight profile data gathered from NORAD’s radar and satellite tracking, NORAD concludes that Santa probably stands about 5 feet 7 inches tall and weighs approximately 260 pounds (before cookies).
‘Based on fighter-aircraft photos, we know he has a generous girth (belly), rosy cheeks from sleigh riding in cold weather, and a flowing white beard’.
How does the NORAD Santa tracker work?
Over 1,250 NORAD personnel join in on the Santa Tracker effort each year, answering phone calls and emails about Santa’s progress.
The entire operation is powered by simulation software built by AGI/Ansys.
Ansys simulation software is used to ensure NORAD can safely track Santa as he travels around the world,’ Adam Gorski, an aerospace engineer with Ansys Government Initiatives, told Space.com.
‘Ansys simulations ensure NORAD satellites can detect the heat from Rudolph’s nose, and radars can track Santa’s sleigh high in the sky.
‘Our simulations are also used to help Santa’s elves perform some aerodynamic analysis on designs of his sleigh over the year.’
How can I find out Santa’s location using NORAD?
When we reach Christmas Eve, all you need to do is head to the NORAD website to follow along using the map.
The NORAD Tracks Santa Operations Center is fully operational beginning at 4 AM MST on December 24th.
If you want to hear it with your own ears, you can even call to inquire about Kris Kringle’s current location, rather than check the map, as he makes his way around the world to bring joy and cheer to children everywhere.
The NORAD tracker will show Father Christmases location as he makes his journey across the world
The NORAD Tracks Santa Operations Center is fully operational beginning at 4 AM MST on December 24th
You can call 1 877 HI-NORAD (1 877 446-6723) to talk directly to a NORAD staff member who will be able to tell you Santa’s exact location. Operators are available until midnight.
The website explains that all of this is made possible by volunteers and through the ‘generous support of corporate licensees who bear virtually all of the costs’.
The survey by Vodafone goes on to reveal that as well as those keeping track of Santa, a further 90% of UK adults who celebrate the festive season will use their mobile devices to keep in touch with friends and family on the big day.
A huge 67% of people will be connecting with others in a different part of the country and 33% overseas – though some are much closer to home, with one-in-ten living in the same street.
People who use connected devices over the festive period will also use them to take photos, access online shopping deals such as Boxing Day sales and manage their finances.
A quarter of people are planning on gifting someone a connected device this Christmas, with the most popular items being smartphones, tablets and laptops.
The research comes as Vodafone announces it has helped two million digitally excluded people and businesses cross the digital divide, by working with partners including The Trussell Trust and Good Things Foundation.
You can support the campaign this Christmas by playing Elf & Seek – an augmented reality game which gives people the chance to gift one of 50,000 SIM cards to those in need, donated by Vodafone through its ‘everyone connected’ programme.
Other prizes up for grabs include an all-inclusive family winter sun holiday to Tenerife, weekends away, Nintendo Switch consoles, Lavazza Coffee machines, entertainment bundles and Amazon gift cards.
Nicki Lyons, Chief Corporate Affairs & Sustainability Officer at Vodafone UK, said: ‘At Vodafone, we’re committed to closing the digital divide all year round, and at Christmas we know that being connected to loved ones is more important than ever. We are proud to have now helped two million people and businesses cross the digital divide, with a commitment to double that figure by the end of 2025.’
Vodafone is giving away 2 million free SIM cards to digitally excluded people and businesses across the country – these are the regions where SIM cards have been handed out
