Christmas and reindeers

 

Ok this week’s animal is the reindeer as it is one of the most iconic animals when we think of Christmas.

It was in 1821 that the reindeer was first mentioned, this was in the booklet The Children’s Friend introduced reindeer pulling Santa’s sleigh.

Then is 1823 Clement Clarke Moore’s A Visit from St. Nicholas also known as The Night Before Christmas which cemented the image of eight flying reindeer, named Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Dunder, and Blixem (later Donner and Blitzen).

Santa’s most famous reindeer was introduced in 1839 in Robert L. May’s story of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, a misfit whose glowing nose saves Christmas. It was a 110 years later that Gene Autry recorded the song that turned Rudolph into a global sensation, adding him as the ninth reindeer.

Can you imagine any other animal pulling Santa’s sleigh while he travels around the world delivering gifts to children. Even though there is a song here in Australian about Santa’s sleigh being pulled by kangaroos but it’s just a song no one here things that happens. Many Aussie kids leave carrots out for the reindeer along with a piece of fruit cake and a beer for Santa.