Keep holiday magic alive in today’s connected world

In the modern age of technology, it’s hard to hold onto those holiday traditions that filled us with wonder when we were kids. Now, our kids are a few taps away from discovering the myth of Santa and can easily figure out that packages aren’t tucked under the tree with care, but brought via Amazon in a flurry of last minute deliveries.

So how do we keep the magic alive? We’ve put together a few examples of different ways to incorporate technology into your holiday season and still have a warm and bright holiday that builds cherished memories.

– NORAD Tracks Santa is probably the oldest holiday tech tradition around, starting in the 1950s. Each year on December 24th, NORAD has had a phone number available for children and adults to call and track Santa’s movements around the globe. Today there’s also a website showing where St. Nick is, live across the globe.

– One of the most popular traditions to gain popularity over recent years is Elf on the Shelf. The elf a “scout” that keeps watch over your kids to make sure they behave for Santa. There’s quite a following for this little elf, and people get pretty creative on Instagram, which adds to the fun.

– Need help keeping the kids interested in Chanukah traditions? Try iGevalt, a dreidel spinning app they can play in groups.

– Have a skeptic in your midst? Watch how this boy setup a hidden camera to catch Santa Claus in the act. You can even try something like this, using Capture The Magic to insert Santa into photos of your home.

– Kristen Bell, AKA “Anna” from Frozen, released an updated carol for the modern age: Text Me Merry Christmas

– This last tip may sound simple, but not long ago being separated by loved ones during the holiday season could be pretty crummy. Today you can use apps like Skype, Google Hangout, FaceTime, and Facebook Video Chat to stay connected.

We are seeing technology making quite an impact on the traditions of Christmas Day. We can now expect its appearance at Christmas dinner, as part of Santa’s bag, and we’ll certainly be using it to send each other holiday wishes as well as starting our sales shopping on December 26th.

For questions on mobile device etiquette at the dinner table or what gadget to get  (or avoid)  this year, JustAnswer has Experts available to help this holiday season, 24/7.