NORAD Tracks Santa Claus En Route to Michigan

Thanks to NORAD, children young and old can keep track of Santa Claus as he journeys around the world toward Michigan

For 364 days out of the year, the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) spends its time tracking airplanes, missiles, space ships—anything flying near the United States and Canada.  But on Christmas Eve, a team of volunteers spends the night tracking a very special pilot: Santa Claus.  "We are the only organization that has the technology, the qualifications and the people to do it," NORAD said on its website. "NORAD tracks Santa, but only Santa knows his route, which means we cannot predict where and when he will arrive at your house."  Santa usually starts at the International Date Line in the Pacific Ocean and travels west, NORAD noticed, meaning he moves from the South Pacific to New Zealand, Australia, Asia, Africa and …

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Santa Claus Comes to Clawson and Invites You to Have Lunch with Him

Santa makes plans to dine in Clawson during the annual Lunch with Santa event Dec. 8.

Santa Claus is coming to town, and you can celebrate his arrival by having a meal with him Saturday. The annual Lunch with Santa event will be held Dec. 8 at Hunter Community Center. The public is invited to the lunch which begins at 11 a.m. Tickets are just $5. In addition to the visit, a hot dog, chips, cookies and beverage as well as a small gift for children are included in the cost. The event is sponsored by the GFWC Clawson Juniors Women's Club. The Juniors are big sponsors of seasonal events in the city including the Fourth of July Kids’ Parade and the Halloween Trick-or-Treat Trail.  "All of the money that we take in from this and other events, we donate back out again," said Sue Baker, GFWC Clawson Juniors President. Always a …

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Santa Claus at The Somerset Collection: 2012 Schedule

The jolly old elf will arrive this Friday. Here are the days and hours he'll be available this season.

Ho, ho, ho! Santa Claus is coming to town – or, more specifically, to The Somerset Collection in Troy. Here's what you need to know about Santa's arrival and extended visit to the upscale mall this season. Santa will arrive in Troy at 6:30 p.m. this Friday, Nov. 16 in front of Somerset Collection North between J Alexander’s and Capital Grille. There will be stilt walkers, jugglers, a caroling quartet and townspeople handing out roasted almonds to guests.  At 7 p.m., the Dearborn Marching Band will begin marching and playing a holiday tune from Nordstrom’s to the center doors. They will play as Santa arrives in a horse-drawn carriage with Princess Celeste.  Once inside, the Dearborn Jazz Band will play while Santa visits with all his guests…

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REPLAY: PatchChat With Santa Claus

About 100 people participated in a chat with Santa Thursday evening; here is the replay, complete with some video responses.

When our Patch colleagues from Wisconsin told us they got hold of the big guy and that he'd agreed to a chat online, we couldn't resist passing it on to you. So  live from the North Pole – via Wisconsin - there was the first PatchChat with Santa. Replay what Santa had to say by clicking above.

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Dad Around Town

Santa Claus: Innocent Tradition or Devil With a Red Coat On?

Is Santa Claus a classic Christmas tradition or a concept that leads to potentially negative psychological issues? Or both?

Spoiler alert! Don’t let your kids read this one. What says Christmas more than Santa? Oh yeah, it’s Jesus’ birthday, I almost forgot. That idea may not be lost on those more committed to religious tradition. But it’s hard to argue with the fact that the reason for the holiday has been clouded by our culture, which holds consumption and ownership so high. Furthermore, there is this outlook attached to the holiday that it’s "for the kids" and we all know what’s on their minds: presents. They want stuff. I remember sitting in a pew at Guardian Angels Church when I was young, crammed between my parents who tried to contain my fidgeting. I didn’t understand what the priest and other speakers were talking about and in all honesty, I didn’t care…

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