# Not to be a Grinch, but...(NORAD Santa tracking) **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 25, 2018, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-to-be-a-grinch-but-norad-santa-tracking/826663 "2018-12-25T03:11:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![zombywoof](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/9e8a1a/32.png) [@zombywoof](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zombywoof)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2018, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-to-be-a-grinch-but-norad-santa-tracking/826663/1 "2018-12-25T03:11:54Z")
Aren’t non-essential US government operations supposed to be shut down? How is this feel-good/PR stunt funded? ---
**Author:** ![Ruken](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f475e1/32.png) [@Ruken](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruken)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2018, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-to-be-a-grinch-but-norad-santa-tracking/826663/2 "2018-12-25T03:17:06Z")
I don’t know about now but in years past the event has been run by a third party, just with NORAD’s blessing. But not-essential US government operations aren’t shut down, just those that don’t already have funding approved. E.g. DOE is operating as normal. I don’t know how NORAD’s funding gets appropriated. ---
**Author:** ![ski](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bbe5ce/32.png) [@ski](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ski)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2018, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-to-be-a-grinch-but-norad-santa-tracking/826663/3 "2018-12-25T03:19:02Z")
According to Wikipedia, it’s done largely by volunteers. > **[NORAD Tracks Santa](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/NORAD_Tracks_Santa)** > > NORAD Tracks Santa is an annual Christmas-themed program in which North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) simulates the tracking of Santa Claus, who is said to leave the North Pole to travel around the world on his mission to deliver presents to children every year on Christmas Eve. The program starts on December 1, but the actual Santa-tracking simulation starts at midnight annually on December 23. It is a community outreach function of NORAD, and has been held annually since 1 Althou... ---
**Author:** ![Poysyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Poysyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Poysyn)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2018, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-to-be-a-grinch-but-norad-santa-tracking/826663/4 "2018-12-25T03:46:59Z")
The people I know that have been “on Santa duty” find it pretty fun. Media event, so you have some Public Affairs folks, and a few operators as a secondary. It’s quiet over Christmas - usually - this is a fun task. ---
**Author:** ![Ravenman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ravenman/32/2929_2.png) [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2018, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-to-be-a-grinch-but-norad-santa-tracking/826663/5 "2018-12-25T04:13:03Z")
> [@zombywoof](#): > > Aren’t non-essential US government operations supposed to be shut down? > > How is this feel-good/PR stunt funded? In any case, the Department of Defense and several other agencies had their budgets funded a couple years ago, and thus are not shutting down. Other agencies not subject to the shutdown because their budgets are already law include the VA, Congress, Department of Health and Human Services, and a few others. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2018, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-to-be-a-grinch-but-norad-santa-tracking/826663/6 "2018-12-25T14:54:42Z")
**Not to be a Grinch, but…(NORAD Santa tracking)** You serious, Clark? ---
**Author:** ![NoSleepTillDeath](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a87d85/32.png) [@NoSleepTillDeath](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NoSleepTillDeath)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2018, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-to-be-a-grinch-but-norad-santa-tracking/826663/7 "2018-12-25T22:36:52Z")
I’d hardly call NORAD " non essential" ---
**Author:** ![Ravenman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ravenman/32/2929_2.png) [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2018, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-to-be-a-grinch-but-norad-santa-tracking/826663/8 "2018-12-26T00:25:08Z")
> [@NoSleepTillDeath](#): > > I’d hardly call NORAD " non essential" Which is irrelevant, because NORAD, NORTHCOM, and the whole DoD isn’t subject to a shutdown because they have no lapse in funding. Other agencies do have a lapse in funding, and those are the ones being shut down. ---
**Author:** ![Carryon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9fc29f/32.png) [@Carryon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carryon)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2018, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-to-be-a-grinch-but-norad-santa-tracking/826663/9 "2018-12-26T14:42:41Z")
> [@zombywoof](#): > > Aren’t non-essential US government operations supposed to be shut down? I for one, consider Santa to be most essential. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![zombywoof](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/9e8a1a/32.png) [@zombywoof](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zombywoof)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2018, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-to-be-a-grinch-but-norad-santa-tracking/826663/10 "2018-12-27T02:04:19Z")
Thanks for the replies. So is it the case that certain agencies are 100% funded, and their operations carry on as normal, and other agencies are not, and they are completely shut down? I was under the (perhaps mistaken) impression that there was some more finely-tuned, lower-level distinction between “essential” and “non-essential” jobs/services, with the former continuing despite the shutdown. (I don’t know what an example would be - I mean, a National Park site might be closed, but there is still some basic level of security there to turn people away and keep an eye on things, no?) ---
**Author:** ![nightshadea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/7ba0ec/32.png) [@nightshadea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nightshadea)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2018, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-to-be-a-grinch-but-norad-santa-tracking/826663/11 "2018-12-27T02:09:07Z")
besides its just an pc program that bounces a dot randomly around om a map…and the same every year……. ---
**Author:** ![Ruken](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f475e1/32.png) [@Ruken](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruken)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2018, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-to-be-a-grinch-but-norad-santa-tracking/826663/12 "2018-12-27T02:10:27Z")
> [@zombywoof](#): > > So is it the case that certain agencies are 100% funded, and their operations carry on as normal, and other agencies are not, and they are completely shut down? > > I was under the (perhaps mistaken) impression that there was some more finely-tuned, lower-level distinction between “essential” and “non-essential” jobs/services, with the former continuing despite the shutdown. Some parts are fully funded. For those that are not, there can still be this essential/non thing. ---
**Author:** ![DinoR](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dinor/32/2821_2.png) [@DinoR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DinoR)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2018, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-to-be-a-grinch-but-norad-santa-tracking/826663/13 "2018-12-27T02:21:05Z")
> [@zombywoof](#): > > So is it the case that certain agencies are 100% funded, and their operations carry on as normal, and other agencies are not, and they are completely shut down? Not quite. > [@](#): > > I was under the (perhaps mistaken) impression that there was some more finely-tuned, lower-level distinction between “essential” and “non-essential” jobs/services, with the former continuing despite the shutdown. Departments that are funded conduct business as usual; there’s no need to determine essential or non-essential. They are funded to operate. Essential vs non-essential only applies to departments that aren’t funded. For example: DOD is fully funded and continues to do what Congress funded them to do. DHS is not funded. They are shut down. They can still perform tasks labeled as essential services with a minimum of personnel. ---
**Author:** ![PoppaSan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/poppasan/32/189_2.png) [@PoppaSan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PoppaSan)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2018, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-to-be-a-grinch-but-norad-santa-tracking/826663/14 "2018-12-27T02:34:03Z")
> [@nightshadea](#): > > besides its just an pc program that bounces a dot randomly around om a map…and the same every year……. You saying Santa follows the same route every year?:dubious: Must be a pain when people move into a new subdivision or a calamity wipes out a section of town then.😉 ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2018, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-to-be-a-grinch-but-norad-santa-tracking/826663/15 "2018-12-27T02:59:16Z")
Canada is part of NORAD. We’re not shut down. ---
**Author:** ![Poysyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Poysyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Poysyn)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2018, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-to-be-a-grinch-but-norad-santa-tracking/826663/16 "2018-12-27T18:38:57Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > Canada is part of NORAD. We’re not shut down. Sort of - we go to a lighter duty - so non-essential personnel go on Christmas leave.