Keep Calm, NORAD Still Plans To Track Santa During The Government Shutdown

The North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) will continue its annual tradition of tracking Santa Claus’ journey around the globe on Christmas Eve, despite the partial government shutdown.

According to a tweet posted by NORAD on Friday, approximately 1,500 volunteers will support military personnel in tracking Saint Nick:

As previously reported by HuffPost, the effort began in 1955 when a Colorado Springs business accidentally misprinted the number for a Santa hotline that children could call on Christmas Eve. Curious kids eager for an update on Kriss Kringle’s progress found themselves on the phone with NORAD’s predecessor, the Continental Air Defense Command Operations Center.

Col. Harry Shoup and his staffers fielded the calls and vowed that the tradition would carry on.

You can keep up-to-date with Santa’s movements here.