The original names of Santa's reindeer included Dunder and Blixem. Today, these reindeer are commonly known as Donner and Blitzen.
The reindeer that drive Santa’s sleigh is among the most beloved Christmas characters of all time.
These nine adorable animals are often seen diligently pulling Santa’s sleigh during the holiday season.
Featuring in movies and TV shows and on Christmas cards and decorations, festivities just wouldn’t be the same without Santa’s reindeer.
There are many fascinating facts about Santa’s reindeer – read on to learn more and get ready to impress at the dinner table this Christmas.
Santa’s reindeer might be an essential part of the festive season nowadays, but that wasn’t always the case.
The first reference to reindeer pulling a sleigh came in 1821.
New York printer William Gilley published a collection of seasonal poems for children aged 5-12, including poetry referencing a reindeer pulling a sleigh.
Saint Nicholas had been a part of Christmas traditions since as far back as the 13th Century. But the character of Santa Claus, with his bright red outfit and lively style, appeared much later.
The version of Santa that we know and love today evolved over decades.
Christmas poems and tales painted a picture of a jolly man with a white beard descending the chimney to leave gifts for well-behaved children.
A sleigh pulled by adorable, hard-working reindeer brought even more magic to the revised story of Santa Claus. By the 1920s, Coca-Cola had started using Santa Claus in its marketing.
Despite becoming such a famous part of Christmas today, the author who penned the poem originally mentioning reindeer is not known.
The poem, Old Santeclaus with Much Delight, depicted a reindeer pulling a sleigh carrying Santa over the rooftops.
It mentioned gifts – described as “rewards” – being delivered on Christmas Eve, rather than Saint Nicholas Day on December 6.
Neither the author nor the illustrator of this legendary work is known. It is often shortened simply to “Old Santeclaus.”
Two years after Old Santeclaus was published, an author anonymously released A Visit from St. Nicholas.
It became commonly known as The Night Before Christmas.
This 1823 publication, which first appeared in a New York newspaper, was claimed fourteen years later by American writer Clement Clarke Moore.
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