Kris Kringle and his flying reindeer have begun their annual trek to spread Christmas joy to children all over the world.
Early Tuesday, Old Saint Nick was spotted flying over the Java Sea on his way to Jakarta, Indonesia, according to the Official NORAD (North American Aerospace Defense Command) Santa Tracker website.
At 6:55 a.m., NORAD officials tweeted that they recently gave Santa a call to make sure he knew he was on their radar.
“#NORAD called #Santa before Christmas to let him know we were ready to track him!” the post read.
Later, NORAD tweeted that Santa was seen flying over Australia.
Tracking heat from Rudolph’s nose in Broome, Australia! #NORAD #NORADTracksSanta https://t.co/gSvRD6ezKo pic.twitter.com/QMLDZAJRUl
— NORAD Tracks Santa (@NoradSanta) December 24, 2019
So far, St. Nick has delivered more than one billion Christmas gifts to children all over the world, according to the Santa Tracker.
The tracker also appeared to show Santa’s sleigh emitting a sparkly golden substance that could only be holiday magic.
To accomplish his mission by Christmas Day, he must rely on Rudolph’s blinking red nose to guide him and the other reindeer, Donner, Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, and Blitzen to the farthest parts of the world.
At 7:44 a.m., NORAD tweeted a photo of Santa just before he took off from Christmas Island in the Australian territory.
Irony! #Santa just left Christmas Island! #NORAD #NORADTracksSanta https://t.co/gSvRD6ezKo pic.twitter.com/HM9H713PKb
— NORAD Tracks Santa (@NoradSanta) December 24, 2019
In a press release, NORAD stated that its job is to track everything flying in and around North America, but has the special privilege of tracking Santa’s sleigh every year on December 24.
The release continued:
NORAD has been tracking Santa since 1955 when a young child accidently dialed the unlisted phone number of the Continental Air Defense Command (CONAD) Operations Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado, believing she was calling Santa Claus after seeing a promotion in a local newspaper.
Air Force Colonel Harry Shoup, the commander on duty that night, was quick to realize a mistake had been made, and assured the youngster that CONAD would guarantee Santa a safe journey from the North Pole.
Thus a tradition was born that rolled over to NORAD when it was formed in 1958. Each year since, NORAD has dutifully reported Santa’s location on Dec. 24 to millions across the globe.
“Each year, the NORAD Tracks Santa Web Site receives nearly fifteen million unique visitors from more than 200 countries and territories around the world,” the release concluded.
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