As Colonel Harry Shoup manned his station at the United States Continental Air Defense Command during the tense period of the Cold War, the last thing he expected was an influx of calls. The line was a dedicated hotline meant to alert about any potential attacks on U.S. territory. Yet, on a brisk December day, the phone rang.
Promptly, Shoup grabbed the receiver, bracing for alarming news. However, it wasn't the stern voice of a high-ranking military official on the other end. Instead, he heard a boy's gentle question, “where does Santa Claus live?”
Initially, Shoup suspected it was a prank. But when the child began to cry, he understood this was no joke. Quick on his feet, Shoup adopted his best Santa Claus voice for the kid. Then, he asked to speak to the boy's mother.
“You haven't seen the papers yet?” she asked. “There's a number to call Santa in the Sears ad.” Shoup checked and found that amid a Sears advertisement was the direct line to his phone, advertised as a call to Santa Claus. Soon, other children began calling. Shoup responded by instructing some of his men to impersonate Santa.
Currently known as NORAD or the North American Aerospace Defense Command, the organization continued the tradition. Shoup contacted the local radio station on Christmas Eve 1955 to announce a sighting of an “unidentified flying object.” “It looks like a sleigh!” he proclaimed. Throughout the evening, radio stations frequently called his center, seeking updates on Santa's whereabouts.
How can you make Christmas more delightful for the little ones this year? Besides adorning your home with splendid LED Christmas lights and decorations, consider downloading one of the premier Santa tracker apps. Here's all you need to know about these tools to follow the man in the big red suit.
The Inception of the First Santa Claus Tracker App
You can delve into Shoup's entire story on NPR's StoryCorps, narrated by his children. By all accounts, including his kids and many others, Shoup had no clue that his effort to brighten the Christmases of a few hundred kids would evolve into the widespread Norad Tracks Santa program.
Which App is Best for Tracking Santa?
Norad Santa Tracker
In earlier times, both children and imaginative adults would tune in each Christmas Eve to listen as NORAD tracked Santa's journey. Today, the tradition lives on in a much more advanced form, complete with games, GPS updates, and a dedicated mobile app. Counting down to the big day, NORAD offers users all sorts of engaging activities. Once Christmas Eve dawns, you can check the system anytime to get Santa's exact GPS position and watch him fly from the Arctic circle in “real-time” 3D graphics. You can even view clips of Santa passing major landmarks and global cities, making it ideal for impressing even the most skeptical youngsters. NORAD has teamed up with Amazon, allowing you to ask, “Alexa, where's Santa?” for up-to-the-minute reports.
While NORAD is widely seen as the pioneer in Santa tracking technology, it's far from the only choice. Nowadays, a simple search on the Google Play store reveals numerous apps that claim to provide the latest updates related to Santa Claus.
Google's Santa Tracker
Google's Santa Tracker features vibrant new designs and activities for children each year. With an advent-calendar layout, a new game or experience unlocks daily, offering various educational activities that kids will enjoy. Like NORAD, they start broadcasting Santa's journey live on Christmas Eve. Your child can learn basic coding, discover holiday traditions from around the globe, and even pick up a few words from the languages spoken in Santa's destinations.
Reindeer Cam Live!
Reindeer Cam is also worth a look, offering a live feed of Santa's reindeer during the holiday period. While it's not the most action-packed display (being a farm), kids who adore Christmas will be excited to watch Santa feed his loyal reindeer at scheduled times. The comment section allows children to send messages to Santa, and parents can submit names to appear on the site's ticker. Occasionally, “Santa” will even read a heartwarming viewer-submitted story on air!
Speak to Santa
This unique app allows you to talk to Santa. It enables simulated video calls with Santa Claus, and you can tailor these conversations for your little ones. By setting up the call properly, Santa can mention your child's name.
When used effectively, this app makes your child feel like Santa is truly on the other end of the call. Santa will ask questions like your child's favorite fruit, color, vegetable, and birthday. You can even use the Speak to Santa app as a behavioral tool — set it to “naughty,” and Santa will let your child know (in a playful way).
The Speak to Santa app showcases Santa's origins in Lapland, Finland, and tracks his sleigh's journey throughout Christmas Eve.
Christmas Countdown and Santa Tracker
The Christmas Countdown and Santa Tracker is a straightforward app that still delivers considerable value. The countdown timer is the first feature you'll notice upon downloading. When the countdown ends, the app shows Santa's location across the globe.
Simple, effective, and convenient, you don't even have to install it until the last minute. The best part? It's free.
Santa Tracker Christmas
The Santa Tracker Christmas app offers a plethora of content. It includes a blog, calendar, and various subscription-only features. The downside is that it may not run as smoothly as expected, potentially causing some navigation issues. However, it's free, so you aren't risking anything by giving it a try.
Conclusion – The Top Santa Tracker App
Despite technological advancements, the selection of Santa tracking tech might seem limited — but remember, Santa defies science! Be sure not to stay up too late watching the tracker; you wouldn't want Santa to skip your house!
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