NORAD’s Santa Tracker, the beloved decades-old tradition of virtually following Santa Claus as he delivers gifts to children around the world, returns Christmas Eve for its 69th year.

When does NORAD's Santa tracker map begin? The map tracking Santa's trip around the world will begin Christmas Eve. Visitors can track Santa's flight from 6 a.m. to 2 a.m. ET.

This illustration photo shows the NORAD logo on a cell phone screen while the tracker follows Santa flying over New York City on a computer monitor in Los Angeles on December 24, 2023.

As it does every year, NORAD, the North American Aerospace Command, tracked Santa on his trip around the world on Christmas Eve so children and families could see where he was.

Each year, at least 100,000 kids call into the North American Aerospace Defense Command to inquire about Santa’s location. Millions more follow online in nine languages, from English to Japanese.

FILE – NORAD Chief of Staff Maj. Gen. Charles D. Luckey takes a call while volunteering at the NORAD Tracks Santa center at Peterson Air Force Base in Colorado Springs, Colo., Dec. 24, 2014.

NORAD’s tradition is one of the few modern additions to the centuries-old Santa story that have endured, according to Gerry Bowler, a Canadian historian who spoke to the AP in 2010.

NORAD's Santa tracker was a Cold War morale boost. Now it attracts millions of kids Each year, at least 100,000 kids worldwide call the North American Aerospace Defense Command to inquire about ...

NORAD said Santa got back to the North Pole shortly after 5 a.m. EST. Santa's arrival times. Although the NORAD tracker reflected where Santa was at different points on his route around the world ...