5 Facts About Santa’s Reindeer

It’s that time of year again, when children worldwide write letters to Santa asking for presents and goodies, but what most people don’t know is that there’s a lot more to Santa’s reindeer than meets the eye. Here are five interesting facts you might not know.

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Santa’s reindeer are all female

With stories of Santa Claus flying around the world in a magical sleigh led by reindeer, it’s assumed that his team of nine is made up of a mix of male and female animals, but did you know that all nine reindeer are probably females? This is because male reindeer shed their antlers at the end of the mating season, so by December, only the females would still have them.

Santa’s reindeer first appeared in 1821

Santa’s reindeer are a Christmas staple and have been delighting children for centuries, but believe it or not, these beloved animals only made their first appearance in 1821 in ‘Old Santeclaus with Much Delight’ – an anonymous illustrated children’s poem published in New York.

The names of Santa’s fleet of reindeer were introduced in Clement Clarke Moore’s 1823 poem, ‘A Visit from St. Nicholas’ and later popularised by classic holiday specials on television. Since then, these magical flying creatures have become synonymous with Santa Claus.

Rudolph was first mentioned 100 years after the other reindeer

Over the last century, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer has become one of popular culture’s most beloved and iconic holiday characters. Despite his fame and recognition, few people know that Rudolph was decades late to the party compared to Santa’s other reindeer.

Rudolph was only mentioned for the first time 100 years after Santa’s other reindeer appeared in Clement C. Moore’s poem. In fact, our jolly, red-nosed friend did not make his debut until 1939, when he stole hearts with a poem published in a company newsletter by Robert L. May.

Whether he arrived late or early, Rudolph has undoubtedly found a place in people’s hearts worldwide each festive season!

Donner and Blitzen weren’t always called that

Most of us are familiar with the legendary Donner and Blitzen. However, you may not know that their names have undergone an exciting transformation. Originally, they were referred to as Dunder and Blixem, which means thunder and lightning in Dutch.

In later versions of the poem by other writers, however, those words became less recognisable, and the mispronunciation of “Dunder” and “Blixem” gradually evolved into “Donner” and “Blitzen”, giving us the much more familiar-sounding duo.

Reindeer noses genuinely can be red

We all know the story of Rudolph, the red-nosed reindeer, whose glowing red nose made him the butt of other reindeer jokes, however, it’s more common for reindeer to have a red nose than the popular song suggests.

Reindeer possess an extraordinarily high number of blood vessels in their nostrils, allowing them to regulate their temperature by bringing the blood close to the surface when they are overheating – this helps them to cool down. It also gives them an unmistakable bright hue!

So there you have it, five fascinating facts about Santa’s nine hard-working helpers. After they’re done with the big night itself, we’d like to think that the reindeer get to enjoy a well-deserved rest! Do you have some hard working animals to take care of? Treat them to some comfortable bedding – they’ll love Coruba’s rubber stable mats!