Tracking Santa's journey around the world in multiple languages

Families across the globe can track Santa Claus’s Christmas Eve journey with the help of the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD). The long-standing tradition allows children and adults alike to follow Santa’s path from the North Pole as he delivers presents worldwide.

Thanks to NORAD’s partnership with Interpreters Unlimited Inc., the service is now accessible in multiple languages, promoting inclusion and cultural representation.

NORAD uses a combination of radar, satellites, and aircraft from the United States and Canada to monitor Santa’s travels. Families can track his progress through the NORAD Santa Tracker website, smartphone app, or hotline at 877-HI-NORAD.

With Interpreters Unlimited’s network of over 10,000 interpreters, the service provides translations and voiceovers in languages such as Spanish, German, French, Italian, Portuguese, Korean, Japanese, Urdu and Chinese.

Photo: Reuters, Germany

“When the kids see where Santa is, they can see it in their language,” said Shamus Sayed, vice president of Interpreters Unlimited. “Inclusion and visibility are so important.”

The NORAD Santa Tracker began in 1955 due to a misdialed phone number. A child called a number from a department store advertisement, expecting to speak with Santa, but instead reached Air Force Col. Harry Shoup at the Continental Air Defense Command (NORAD’s precursor).

Realizing the potential for more calls, Shoup assigned a duty officer to respond, establishing a tradition that continued with NORAD’s formation in 1958.

Photo: Reuters, Hungary

Today, the tracker engages millions of children from more than 200 countries and territories. NORAD’s hotline fields over 130,000 calls each Christmas Eve, while families can also follow Santa via Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram.

“Santa tracking is a worldwide effort,” said NORAD spokesperson Becky Farmer. “We know it’s very important to make the tracker accessible to people all over the world.”

Interpreters Unlimited provides its services to NORAD for free. “There are 101 reasons kids want to see a Santa who represents them and their culture and language,” said Sayed, who is also a father of two. “This is a feel-good thing. Seeing Santa brings a smile every time. It’s an escape for kids and parents, bringing the spirit of the holidays home and making it tangible.”

Photo: AFP, Pakistan

Interpreters, some of whom return annually, provide voiceover work at NORAD’s headquarters in Colorado Springs or remotely. Sayed emphasized the importance of human interpreters, noting that artificial intelligence tools often miss cultural nuances. “The human touch in interpretation matters so much right now,” he said.

Sayed encouraged families to enjoy the tracker: “Go visit the site. Enjoy it, whether you’re adults, kids, old, young—everyone. Go to the site or make the call, and use this as an excuse to smile.”

As Santa’s journey unfolds, NORAD’s multilingual service ensures that the magic of Christmas reaches children in their native languages, reinforcing the universal joy of the holiday season.