11 Santa's Reindeer Facts: Read About This Traditional Festive Legend
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How many reindeers did Santa have?
Is it eight or nine or were there more? In December, we look forward to Santa and his reindeer to make everyone's Christmas special.
Santa travels from the North Pole to deliver Christmas gifts with the help of his reindeer. They pull the sleigh carrying Santa and his bag of presents all across the globe.
So, how many are there? How many of them are male reindeer?
You may have heard of Rudolph as he is definitely the most famous Christmas character. Come December, you will hear the familiar 'Rudolph, the red-nosed reindeer had a very shiny nose' jingle all across town. However, Rudolph was added to the original reindeer lineup by Santa.
Before him, the sleigh was pulled by eight reindeer, namely Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Blitzen, and Donner. Later on, other reindeer were added into the reindeer family of Santa like Olive.
In December, Santa comes to town during Christmas with his reindeer. These elegant animals with their majestic antlers have captured the imagination of all age groups.
Every single reindeer has a unique personality and purpose and perfectly fits within the larger team.
Santa is able to deliver his gifts thanks to the speed of Dasher, the gracefulness of Dancer and Prancer, the beauty of Vixen, the strength of Comet, motherliness of Donner, fatherliness of Blitzen, helpfulness of Cupid, and finally, the heroism of Rudolph.
Then there are the other reindeer, like Olive, who has been added to the legend. Next time you find a real action version of Santa and his reindeer, you will be able to guess who is who!
Boost your Christmas knowledge by learning about the special reindeer that pulled Santa's sleigh!
Names & Personalities Of Santa's Reindeer
In December, every child looks forward to a merry Christmas because Santa and his reindeer come to town bearing gifts. Without his reindeer pulling the sleigh, Santa would never be able to reach his destination, making Christmas incomplete.
As per legend, Santa had only eight reindeer, but Rudolph was added to pull Santa's sleigh in 1939. While Rudolph may be the most popular among Santa's reindeer, the original reindeer have their own unique personalities.
Rudolph is the youngest member in Santa's reindeer lineup. He is known for his heroism that saved Christmas Eve of 1939. He is best identified by his shiny red nose.
Dasher, as the name suggests, is the fastest reindeer that used to lead Santa's reindeer sleigh. He is known to be a little complacent, often scolded by Santa for missing his training sessions.
Dancer is one of the twins in the reindeer family of Santa. He is known for his grace and elegance. He was offered a Broadway role, but he chose to deliver presents for Santa Claus.
Prancer is the second twin brother. He too is graceful and elegant, however, he is aware of his beauty and grace. He is known to get distracted due to his looks.
Vixen is considered the most beautiful reindeer. Male reindeer are always trying to attract Vixen's attention. She is known to be quite flirtatious.
The most stubborn, loyal, and strongest reindeer is Comet. He was named after the comet that flew the moment was he born. This was also seen as a premonition that he will be one of the reindeer that would fly with Santa in December.
Cupid is the next reindeer in the Santa Claus team and was born on Valentine's Day. He is considered the most romantic reindeer who tries to match his reindeer friends. He has a huge crush on Vixen. Due to his deep attraction to Vixen, Santa Claus had to separate the two as Cupid kept banging into obstacles.
Donder, Dunder, or Donner is the other female reindeer. Her name means thunder and she is married to Blitzen. She is considered the mother of Santa's reindeer as she ensures the others are neat and fed.
Blitzen is the last of the original reindeer lineup. He is considered the bravest among the lot and regularly pumps up the other members to fight against any adversaries. His name means lightning, a reference to the number of times he has been struck by lightning.
Santa's Reindeer In Pop Culture
'Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer' is one of the most popular Christmas songs. Santa's reindeer are celebrated every year on Christmas Eve. From movies to jingles, Santa Claus and his reindeer family have been represented to spread the Christmas cheer every December.
In popular culture, Rudolph is definitely the most identified Christmas character. The red-nosed reindeer is easily the most identifiable among Christmas animals. His heroism helped Santa Claus deliver all presents despite heavy fog on Christmas and it is a story shared among family and friends.
'Twas the Night Before Christmas' by Clement C. Moore is a poem where the eight reindeer pulling Santa's sleigh have been mentioned. The names of the reindeer have been changed, for example, Blitzen was referred to as Blixem in the 1823 version.
In 1939, Robert L. May created something of a marketing trick for Montgomery Ward, a really successful retail franchise in the United States. This is the most popular Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer. Under this banner, the designer created coloring books that were sold in the store for at least five years.
Max Fleischer developed a Christmas cartoon character for Rudolph. Johnny Marks also created a song for the same cartoon.
Another popular character reference is the stop animation created for Rudolph by Rankin-Bass. First aired in 1964, this animated cartoon became the longest-running Christmas Eve special.
Rudolph's popularity led to the development of other reindeer Christmas characters. These were touted as the relatives or rivals of Rudolph. For example, Olive was known as the 'Other Reindeer'. Robbie was Rudolph's son and was a character developed for comedy specials created by BBC.
The author of 'Old Santeclaus', where Santa's reindeer have been mentioned, is unknown. In the poem, Santa was depicted being transported on a sleigh pulled by reindeer over the rooftops.
Many singers have mentioned the reindeer in their Christmas songs. These include 'Santa Claus Is Watching You', 'Shadrack', 'The Black Reindeer', and 'Leroy the Redneck Reindeer'.
Gender, Age & Features Of Santa's Reindeers
In December, the world celebrates a merry Christmas. Children look forward to Santa traveling from the North Pole on his sleigh pulled by a reindeer team led by Rudolph. Who are these reindeer? How do they look?
What is their age? Christmas is a time to get curious about Santa and his reindeer team. Here is a look at these deer and how they magically travel around the globe during winter to make every child's Christmas Eve special.
Dasher is the speed specialist. When it comes to riding the sleigh, he is always ready. In terms of features, he is a typical male reindeer with antlers. He is social, participates in track during the off-season, is fashion-forward, loves winter and cold, is social, and is quite a happy-go-lucky member of the reindeer family of Santa.
Next, is the extrovert in the reindeer family of Santa. Dancer loves partying, loves colorful gear, is very social, loves popcorn, and among all the animals, has great hand-eye coordination. He is unlikely to be seen without a bell around his neck.
Prancer is the most self-conscious member of the reindeer family of Santa. He always is shown carrying a mirror with him, admiring his looks and antlers.
Mrs. Santa Claus made a special collar for Prancer so that he could carry all his accessories like his comb, mirror, and brush. He is a loyal and enthusiastic reindeer whose high energy is reflective of the spirit of a merry Christmas. He is known for his baking abilities and loves making mint-flavored cookies.
The most beautiful of all the reindeer is Vixen. As the name suggests, Vixen captivates the attention of male reindeer, including Cupid who loves Vixen. She is known for her comedic abilities and impresses Santa and others with her trickery.
She has the ability to make items appear and disappear. She loves attention and is known as a smart reindeer. She loves to help everyone, including Santa, helping fill his bag with all the presents and helping him get down every chimney hole.
One of the most handsome is Comet. His easy-going character makes him quite popular among reindeer. Children especially love Comet, and he also has qualities admired by Santa. Comet is also quite sporty. He is honest, plays fair, and is flexible. He is always ready to help others and gets the job done when needed.
Jazz-loving Cupid spends his time spreading love. His sweet tooth is quite an asset as he helps Santa finish his cookies and milk.
Red and green are his favorite colors. He always carries mistletoe and makes sure to place it in doorways. This is his way of ensuring that people do not forget to hug, kiss, and spread Christmas cheer.
Donner is known for his booming noise. She is the life of the party and enjoys singing. She is married to Blitzen with whom she sings duets. She loves jazz and Christmas jingles.
Donner enjoys singing so much that she hums songs when flying. She is a take-charge kind of personality and has a preference for dark chocolate. She is also considered the mother of the reindeer team. She ensures that the younger reindeer are well fed and their hooves remain clean.
Next is Donner's husband, Blitzen. This strong and majestic reindeer is super fast when it comes to helping Santa load the presents on the sleigh.
His name translates to lightning and was given to him as he has the ability to infuse an electric charge in the other reindeer. So, by doing so he can make the other reindeer move faster like lightning.
Last, but not least is Rudolph. He is the most famous reindeer and is identified by his shining red nose. He was made the leader of the pack thanks to his red nose.
His red nose acts as a guiding light to other reindeer when moving through the fog. He is the shyest member mainly due to being ostracised for his red nose.
He is humble and enjoys playing with his friends. He is the most popular member among Santa's reindeer. Rudolph is now one of the main identifiable characters associated with Christmas.
FAQs
How old are all of Santa's reindeer?
It is unclear what the ages of all of Santa's reindeer are.
Who is Santa's youngest reindeer?
The youngest is the most favorite reindeer known as Rudolph.
What are all Santa's reindeer names?
Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner, Blitzen, and Rudolph are all Santa's reindeers.
What is Prancer reindeer known for?
Prancer reindeer is known for his grace and majestic appearance.
Who's the fastest reindeer?
Dasher is the fastest reindeer among all of Santa's reindeer.
Who is the leader of Santa's reindeer?
Rudolph is the leader of Santa's reindeer.
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