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Get ready for some Christmas “stalking.”

Christmas Eve can be tantalizing for kids waiting on Saint Nick to deliver the goods. Fortunately, Yuletide yearners can now know the exact moment Santa Claus is coming to town — thanks to new and improved Santa trackers by Google and the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD).

When they’re not saving the nation from Russian spy planes, NORAD allows kids to follow Father Christmas’ present-delivering pilgrimage starting at 6 a.m. ET Christmas Eve morning.

The command center offers several ways to stalk Santa. You can call the toll-free number 1-877-HI-NORAD, email noradtrackssanta@outlook.com  or — probably the most fun — track the 3D visual depiction of his journey on the website, reports Newsweek. And thanks to NORAD’s partnership with Amazon, holiday shoppers can even ask Alexa about the jolly old elf’s whereabouts.

“#NORAD is a U.S. & Canada bi-national command doing #HomelandDefense for North America. But once a year we do our most magical mission… Tracking #Santa #ChristmasEve!” NORAD posted on its official Twitter account Sunday. (The tracker actually goes live Dec. 1 each year, according to Time.)

President Trump participated in NORAD’s Santa tracking last Christmas.The Washington Post via Getty ImagesPresident Trump participated in NORAD’s Santa tracking last Christmas.The Washington Post via Getty Images

Despite all the jingle bells and whistles, NORAD’s Santa Tracker has humble origins. The phenomenon started serendipitously in 1955 when its number was mistakenly printed in an ad, prompting children to call Santa. Curious kids started blowing up their phone lines, and now Santa tracking is woven into the Christmas tradition tapestry. Last Christmas, President Trump infamously asked a 7-year-old girl if she still believed in Santa while taking calls from children who were phoning into NORAD in search of Saint Nick.

Google jumped on the Santa-tracking train in 2004 when it launched a competing service, with 1 million people digitally tailing Santa during the first year alone. Along with keeping tabs on the big man in red online (which begins at 5 a.m. ET on Dec. 24), users can watch animated Christmas shorts, play festive games and even take selfies with Santa himself. Google Assistant will also provide the latest news from the North Pole and users can “test your knowledge of holiday traditions around the world” on Google Earth, per a recent press release.

Santa fanatics can download NORAD’s Santa Tracker for Android while Google’s version is available on Google Play.

A Santa stalker at workAFP via Getty ImagesA Santa stalker at workAFP via Getty Images
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