NORAD: The Christmas Site that got me into travel
So Christmas is almost upon us! The countdown is officially on! So if you, or anyone in your household, are anything like what 5-year-old me was like, everything during this whole Christmas Eve period is going to be all “Santa this” and “Xmas that.”
Understandably, this excitement can become a little bit draining. So many people channel this into board games, films, alcohol, or a combination of all of these!
Instead, my parents introduced me to NORAD! A site that not only allowed me to channel all my pent-up “Christmas energy” but also used it as a way to get me to sleep before midnight and got me interested in the wider world and other cultures!
About NORAD
NORAD, which stands for North American Aerospace Defence Command, is a bi-national organisation between the United States and Canada. While its primary mission is to help protect North America with aerospace warning and control, it also has a much more seasonal mission as well!
Tracking Santa
Once a year NORAD creates a Santa Tracker where you can follow his route delivering presents across the globe. For 65 years now they have been tracking his holiday route,
This began when CONAD (Continental Air Defence Command) received several phone calls asking for Santa’s location following the misprinting of their number in an advert about “Santa’s Toyland” in a newspaper in 1955.
And since 1997, we have been able to track Santa online at noradsanta.org. Now 9 million unique users from 200 countries, tuning in each year to follow Santa across the world!
Santa’s Round-The-World Journey
NORAD begins tracking Santa right from the beginning of his journey. His first sighting is usually from somewhere within the Pacific Ocean. This year he has begun his journey in the Republic of Kiribati, a collection of 32 tropical atolls.
From there, Santa usually works his way westward. Snaking north and South through Oceania, Asia, Africa, Europe, and the Americas before heading back for some much-needed rest at the North Pole!
Along Santa’s journey, it is estimated that he will travel somewhere in the region of 510,000,000km. This will take him to approximately 390,000 homes per minute (6424 per second). Now you can understand why so many people put out mince pies and carrots for Santa and his trusty reindeer!
Throughout this mammoth round-the-world trip, you will find creative and informative videos across some of the world’s most exciting sights as well as links to read further about places around the world!
This is what really inspired me as a child – so much so that on Christmas Day (even once Santa was home), I would go and watch back all of the videos from around the world to see where he had visited!
So whether you are looking to get your Christmas travel fix in 2020; seeking something new to follow through Christmas Eve; or are simply looking to keep the children occupied and relaxed the night before Christmas – go check out NORAD!
Wherever you are in the world, have a very Merry Christmas!
Before you go
Thank you for reading about NORAD and how it changed my perspective of travel as a kid. If guides, itineraries and travel content like this interest you, head over to my blog page to find out more.
If you are new to Matt’s Next Steps, check out the About Me page to find out a bit more about who I am, my travel adventures, and why I wanted to become a travel writer.
Please comment below and let me know your thoughts and experiences, or if there is anything else you want information on.
Happy Christmas!
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