He's made his list, checked it twice, and he knows who's been naughty or nice. Santa Claus is getting ready to take off on his annual trip around the world Sunday, bringing gifts to children the world over.

Boys and girls are also ever curious about how close Santa Claus is to them since everyone knows St. Nick can't visit a home if any children are still awake. That is why North American Aerospace Defence, or NORAD, tracks his progress throughout the day every Christmas Eve.

Lieutenant-Colonel Marco Chouinard is a member of the Canadian Armed Forces, stationed with NORAD in Colorado Springs, CO. He is part of the team that tracks Santa's progress. She says the day is a busy one, that needs a large group to get everything accomplished.

"We have lots of volunteers we have been coordinating," Chouinard said in an interview, as he worked with his team preparing for the big day. "About 1,500 will be there on December 24th to answer all the phones and the emails."

NORAD began tracking Santa in 1955. An advertisement with a phone number for children to talk to Santa had a misprint on the phone number. Instead of ringing through to the North Pole, it instead went to the NORAD offices. The commander at the time decided to use the equipment he had available to let the children know where Santa was, and thus a tradition was born. Now, they work closely with Santa Claus, starting in September when he tests out the sleigh and starts exercising the reindeer.

Chouinard added the most frequently asked question is when Santa will visit a house. According to NORAD data, the time is between 9:00 p.m. and midnight, as long as the children are asleep.

On the big day, you can follow along with where Santa is on his journey here: