Santa Claus' reindeer are a team of reindeer which pull his sleigh and help him deliver Christmas gifts. According to Kris Kringle (Miracle on 34th Street), they only fly on Christmas Eve. Taken from the 1823 poem A Visit from St. Nicholas, which led to the popularity of reindeer as Christmas symbols.^[1] The poem reads in part: Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... A typical depiction of Santa Claus. ... Caribou redirects here. ... For other uses, see Christmas (disambiguation). ... 1823 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... Cover of a 1912 edition of the poem, illustrated by Jessie Willcox Smith. ...

With a little old driver so lively and quick,
I knew in a moment it must be St. Nick.
More rapid than eagles, his coursers they came,
And he whistled and shouted and called them by name:

Now Dasher! Now Dancer! Now, Prancer and Vixen!
On, Comet! On, Cupid! On, Donder and Blitzen!
To the top of the porch! To the top of the wall!
Now dash away! Dash away! Dash away all!

Over time, another reindeer has been added: Rudolph, a well-known name due to the popular Christmas song Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer is a popular Christmas story about Santa Claus ninth and lead reindeer who possesses an unusually red colored nose that gives off its own light that is powerful enough to illuminate the teams path through inclement weather. ...

According to the poem, the appearance is a "miniature sleigh, and eight tiny reindeer" and they are "more rapid than eagles". The poem does not describe them, nor their positions in the sleigh-team, but does say they fly.^[2]

In some countries, such as Sweden and Finland, Santa's reindeer traditionally do not fly (but they are sometimes depicted flying due to American cultural influence).^[3]

The Christmas Mountains of New Brunswick, Canada are named after the original eight reindeer. The Christmas Mountains are a series of rounded peaks at the headwaters of North Pole Stream and the Little Southwest Miramichi River, west of Big Bald Mountain, and south of Mount Carleton in northern New Brunswick, Canada. ... This article is about the Canadian province. ...

Origins

• The original eight reindeer are drawn from the 1823 poem A Visit From St. Nicholas.
• Rudolph was added following the publication of Robert L. May's Christmas story in 1939
• Robbie was added by BBC television in aid of Comic Relief, around 1999.

1823 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... Cover of a 1912 edition of the poem, illustrated by Jessie Willcox Smith. ... Robert L. May (1905 - 1976) was the creator of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. ... Year 1939 (MCMXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... For other uses, see BBC (disambiguation). ... For the origin of the term, see comic relief. ... This article is about the year. ...

The reindeer

Original eight

Sleigh order

The original eight reindeer are arranged as follows on Santa's sleigh, assuming that the reindeer are named in the poem from front to back, with the reindeer on the left being male, and the reindeer on the right being female. For the cricket meaning, see Sledging (cricket) A sled, sledge or sleigh is a vehicle with runners for sliding instead of wheels for rolling. ...

(In the film Santa Claus: The Movie, the arrangement is reversed, with Donder and Blixem/Blitzen (Claus' two reindeer from his mortal life) in the lead.)

^† The last two reindeer names were 'Donder' and Blixem when the poem was first published anonymously in the Troy, New York Sentinel on 1823-12-23.[1] When Moore later published the work as his own (Poems, 1844), the names were spelled Donder and Blitzen.[2] In a number of later reprintings, name was misstated as Donner.[3] 1823 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... is the 357th day of the year (358th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

In An American Anthology, 1787–1900, Edmund Clarence Stedman reprints the 1844 Moore version of the poem, including the German spelling of "Donder and Blitzen", rather than the earlier Dutch version from 1823, "Dunder and Blixem". Both phrases translate as "Thunder and Lightning" in English, though German for thunder is now spelled Donner, and the Dutch words would nowadays be spelled Donder and Bliksem. The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ...

According to the Donder Home Page,[4] Robert May used Donner and Blitzen in his 1939 story "Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer." The sheet music for Johnny Marks' 1949 song "Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer" also uses Donner and Blitzen.

Descriptions

• Dasher - The first reindeer and the right-hand leader of the sleigh before Rudolph was included. He is the speediest reindeer.
• Dancer - The second reindeer and the left leader before Rudolph was included. She is the graceful reindeer.
• Prancer - The third reindeer and on the right in the second row. He is the most powerful reindeer.
• Vixen - The fourth reindeer and on the left-hand side in the second row. She is beautiful, and also powerful like her companion Prancer.
• Comet - The fifth reindeer and on the right-hand side in the third row. He brings wonder and happiness to children when Santa flies over everyone's houses.
• Cupid - The sixth reindeer and on the left-hand side in the third row. She brings love and joy to children when Santa flies over everyone's houses.
• Donder - The seventh reindeer and on the right-hand side in the fourth row. His original name was Dunder, a variant of donder, meaning "thunder" in Dutch.
• Blitzen - The eighth reindeer and on the left-hand side in the fourth row. Though female, she is frequently portrayed as a male in American pop culture. Her original name is Blixem. She is known as the lightning reindeer because the word 'Blitz' is German for lightning, as is 'Bliksem', her original name, in Dutch.

Thunder is the sound made by lightning. ... Not to be confused with lighting. ...

Additional reindeer since the writing of the poem

Rudolph (the red-nosed reindeer)

Main article: Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer

Rudolph's story was originally written in verse by Robert L. May for the Montgomery Ward chain of department stores in 1939 and published as a book to be given to children in the store at Christmas time. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer is a popular Christmas story about Santa Claus ninth and lead reindeer who possesses an unusually red colored nose that gives off its own light that is powerful enough to illuminate the teams path through inclement weather. ... Robert L. May (1905 - 1976) was the creator of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. ... Montgomery Ward (later known as Wards) was an American department store chain, founded as the worlds first mail order business in 1872 by Aaron Montgomery Ward. ... // This is a list of department stores. ... Year 1939 (MCMXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... For other uses, see Christmas (disambiguation). ...

According to this story, Rudolph was the son of Donder, and was born with a glowing red nose, which made him a social outcast among the other reindeer. However, one Christmas eve it was too foggy for Santa Claus to make his flight around the world. About to cancel, Santa suddenly noticed Rudolph's nose, and decided it could be a makeshift lamp to guide his sleigh. Since then Rudolph has been said to be a permanent member of Santa's team, and leads them on their way.

Rudolph's story is a popular Christmas story that has been retold in numerous forms including a popular song, a television special, and even a feature film. Joseph and Mary with baby Jesus, at the first Christmas Christmas (literally, the Mass of Christ) is a holiday in the Christian calendar, usually observed on December 25, which celebrates the birth of Jesus. ... Popular music, sometimes abbreviated pop music, is music belonging to any of a number of musical styles that are broadly popular. ... A television special is a television program, typically a short film or television movie, which interrupts or temporarily replaces programming normally scheduled for a given time slot. ... A reel of film, which predates digital cinematography. ...

Ironically,Rudolph is the farthest away from his parent, Donder and Blitzen. They are at the back of the team, and Rudolph is in the front.

Robbie Ray

Main article: Robbie the Reindeer

Robbie Ray is Rudolph's son. He was created as part of an animated BBC Christmas comedy television special, that was made in aid of the charity Comic Relief. Robbie the Reindeer is the title character in two animated BBC Christmas comedy television specials, filmed in aid of Comic Relief. ... For other uses, see BBC (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Christmas (disambiguation). ... A comedy is a dramatic performance of a light and amusing character, usually with a happy conclusion to its plot. ... A television special is a television program, typically a short film or television movie, which interrupts or temporarily replaces programming normally scheduled for a given time slot. ... This article is about charitable organizations. ... For the origin of the term, see comic relief. ...

Olive, the Other Reindeer

Main article: Olive, the Other Reindeer

In Vivian Walsh and J. Otto Seibold's 1999 Christmas special Olive, the Other Reindeer, the new character is added to the team to lead Santa's sleigh, at least temporarily. The name is a pun on the line, "All of the other reindeer." in the Rudolph poem. Olive, the Other Reindeer is an animated 45-minute-long Christmas television special, produced by Matt Groening of Simpsons fame and directed by Oscar Moore. ... Olive, the Other Reindeer is an animated 45-minute-long Christmas television special, produced by Matt Groening of Simpsons fame and directed by Oscar Moore. ...

Santa Claus is Watching You

In the song "Santa Claus is Watching You" by Ray Stevens, the reindeer include the traditional ones plus "Bruce, Marvin, Leon, Cletus, George, Bill, Slick, Do-right, Clyde (who's actually a camel borrowed from Stevens's previous song Ahab the Arab), Ace, Blackie, Queenie, Prince, Spot, and Rover." According to the original 1965 version of the song, Rudolph "dislocated his hip in a Twist contest", so Clyde is his replacement. In a later version of the song, in which the singer is talking to his lover, Rudolph is "on a stakeout" at the lover's house (making sure said person remains true to the singer). The tone or style of this article or section may not be appropriate for Wikipedia. ... Ahab The Arab (pron. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ...

Leroy the Redneck Reindeer

In the song "Leroy the Redneck Reindeer" sung by Joe Diffie, the title character fills in for an ill Rudolph. Clad in overalls and a John Deere tractor hat, his customs surprise the other reindeer. However, Leroy saves Christmas by leading Santa's sleigh and the team eventually accepts him. This article is about a stereotypical description. ... Joe Diffie (born Joe Logan Diffie, December 28, 1958, in Tulsa, Oklahoma) is an American country music singer-songwriter known for his ballads and novelty songs, in a manner similar to George Jones. ... John Deere Logo A John Deere 7800 tractor attached to a corn planter. ...

Prancer

The 1989 film, Prancer tells of a young girl who finds one of Santa's reindeer. If you know the Clement Clark Moore poem, youll know that Prancer is one of Santa Claus eight tiny reindeer. ...

Shadrack, the Black Reindeer

Loretta Lynn's 1974 single "Shadrack, the Black Reindeer" introduced this speedy character. In the song, Rudolph has gotten older and slower. An already late Santa threatens to leave him behind, but the other reindeer suggest that they will complete their rounds on time if Shadrack and Rudolph lead the team side by side, and they succeed in doing so. Loretta Lynn (born Loretta Webb April 14, 1934) is an American country singer-songwriter and was one of the leading country female vocalists during the 1960s and 1970s and overall is revered as a country icon. ...

South Park

In The South Park Christmas Special Red Sleigh Down, the traditional reindeer are killed when the sleigh is shot down as Santa tries to bring Christmas to Iraq. When the main characters rescue him by using the alternative reindeer named Steven, Fluffy, Horace, Chantel, Skippy, Rainbow, Patches and Montel. Their names are sung in a similar fashion in order to make them fly. It is assumed that they take over as replacement for the lost reindeer. This article is about the TV series. ... Red Sleigh Down (a. ...

See also

• Christmas
• Christmas Mountains
• Folklore
• Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer

For other uses, see Christmas (disambiguation). ... The Christmas Mountains are a series of rounded peaks at the headwaters of North Pole Stream and the Little Southwest Miramichi River, west of Big Bald Mountain, and south of Mount Carleton in northern New Brunswick, Canada. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer is a popular Christmas story about Santa Claus ninth and lead reindeer who possesses an unusually red colored nose that gives off its own light that is powerful enough to illuminate the teams path through inclement weather. ...

External links

• The Legendary Role of Reindeer in Christmas
• History of Rudolph
• Bluey Santa's New "kangaroo" reindeer Recruit!