Taking Holiday Traditions Virtual, tracking Santa’s Flight with NORAD
Posted on Dec 14, 2011 by valeriemorini
The holiday season is one of the most tradition rich for families and friends across the globe. From tree decorating and stockings to the milk and cookies for Santa, generation after generation have continued the traditions from their childhoods, adding their own along the way.
When I was a little girl I would look forward to the night that my family and I would get out all our tree decorations, put on my favorite Christmas albums (yes, albums…) and transform our home back into the Christmas land Santa would remember to visit. My dad would recount stories of his own childhood holiday memories, many of which had common threads linked to mine, with simple changes as a sign of the times. Regardless of our ages or belief systems, there’s a magical element in the ability of memories and traditions to bring together people across the world in the holiday spirit.
While many of our traditions are personal and vary based on who was passing theirs on to us, there is one big and jolly underlying tradition that children celebrating Christmas wait for all year, and it’s Santa. For the past 50 years NORAD has been tracking Santa’s flight so children can follow his journey from the north pole to all the homes and chimneys on Christmas eve.
It’s no longer just about putting cookies and milk out, waiting up to see if you can hear the reindeer on the roof. With the incredible technology that we have at our fingertips, NORAD now allows us to track Santa’s journey on computers and mobile devices through GPS and Google earth, which is closer to actually being in the reindeer powered sleigh than many of us could have even dreamed when we were young.
Over the years technology has evolved around this childhood tradition, but the excitement, spirit, and wonder that it ignites in children (of ALL ages) continues to bring the holiday to life. The power exists in the ability of the tradition to unite friends, families, and strangers embracing the excitement, hope, and nostalgic moments that create the Christmas experience.
Kudos and many thanks to NORAD and their tracking team for taking the time to provide us a holiday experience for all ages. During these 12 days leading up to Christmas, NORAD is releasing a new game each day in their Countdown Village to help you pass the time. BuzzMgr will be tracking the trackers through Christmas Day, and will be sharing some memories shared through social media, so share your memories, thoughts, and plans for traditions this holiday season!
