I always wondered why NORAD got involved in tracking the route of Santa's sleigh across the world. Here's the explanation, from an AP story:
"The North American Aerospace Defense Command, or NORAD, has tracked Santa's progress every Christmas Eve since 1955. On Thursday morning, the Colorado military installation showed Santa having visited parts of Asia and Australia and moving westward.
"NORAD usually monitors threats against the United States and Canada, but turns its radars on Santa each holiday.
"The tradition started more than 50 years ago when a newspaper Sears-Roebuck ad told kids to dial a number if they wanted to talk to Santa.
"But the number was one digit off. When the first call came to NORAD's predecessor, a military colonel told an eager child he would check the radars for Santa."
Thursday afternoon, according to the AP, Santa Claus was making steady progress and appears to be on track for a late-night arrival in the United States.
The Norad site also offers puzzles and online games for children, and answers to the most frequently asked questions about Santa, including Virginia O'Hanlon's famous letter.
Have a wonderful Christmas, and check out PopStand on Monday morning!
-- Anne Neville and Dave Valenzuela
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