Posts
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.
A good reminder of how long the reindeer has been pulling the sleigh, Jo-Anne.
ReplyDeleteLonger then many would realise
DeleteA BEER for Santa? We leave milk and cookies!! LOL
ReplyDeleteYeah I have never left milk for Santa, it has always been a beer
DeleteI never realized how many years this tradition of reindeer pulling Santa's sleigh at Christmas has been noted. I do love Rudolph!
ReplyDeleteI doubt you are alone with that
DeleteVery interesting. Thank you for sharing this.
ReplyDeleteThanks for reading and commentinng
DeleteI laughed, too, at a beer for Santa. Milk and cookies in the US--lol!
ReplyDeleteRudolph was a pretty new song when I was born in 1951. :)
I grew up leaving a beer and fruit cake so it is what my girls left Santa as well
DeleteI always left some of my horse's feed out for the reindeers on Christmas Eve, as did my son, and a glass of water for Santa.
ReplyDeleteThe reindeers need to be remembered with food and water
Delete