Stock photo of the NORAD Tracks Santa Operations Center,

NORAD (the North American Aerospace Defense Command) is a joint military organization between the United States and Canada that is responsible for monitoring and defending North American airspace. Every year, NORAD tracks the movements of Santa Claus on Christmas Eve as he delivers presents to children around the world. This tradition began in 1955 when a Colorado Springs-based Sears Roebuck & Co. store advertised a phone number for children to call and talk to Santa. However, the phone number was misprinted, and instead of reaching Santa, children ended up reaching the CONAD (the predecessor of NORAD) Commander-in-Chief's operations "hotline." The officers on duty, in the spirit of the holiday season, played along and gave the children updates on Santa's location. The tradition has continued every year since, and today, NORAD uses its advanced technology and radar systems to track Santa's journey around the world.