Especially if you are a kid, telling the story of Santa Claus at Christmastime is one of the most evocate festive traditions. Father Christmas spending all year making presents, traveling across the whole world in a single night and bringing joy to all is a magical thought. Of course, any story where we actually get a present at the end of it is always going to pique our interest. An integral part of this story and one which has its own holiday legends is the reindeer. These animals power the sled which brings so much joy.
At AnimalWised, we ask why are reindeer associated with Christmas? We look at the Christmas and reindeer meaning to find out why these noble animals have become such an important cultural touchstone for the festive season.
How are Christmas and reindeer associated?
St. Nicholas, Santa Claus, Kris Kringle and many others, there are a multitude of names for Father Christmas. There is good reason for this. The figure of father Christmas is a mythical figure who appears in the traditions of many Western cultures. While there are many different aspects which are particular to certain cultures, the basic premise of the legend of Santa Claus is the same:
In the 4th century, a boy named Nicholas of Bari was born in a city in present-day Turkey. He was known from childhood for his kindness and generosity towards poor or underprivileged children. This was exceptional at the time, considering he was born into a very wealthy family. He lost his parents at the age of 19 and inherited a large fortune. He decided to donate to those most in need and to follow his uncle's path into the priesthood, eventually becoming the bishop of Myra.
Nicholas died on the 6th December 345 and was eventually canonized into the sainthood by the early Christian church. Due to the proximity of Christmas, his death was later associated with the festive season. Merging with other religious traditions, it was decided that this saint was the perfect image to distribute gifts and sweets to children. He was named the patron saint of Greece, Turkey and Russia.
The name Santa Claus comes from the German name for Saint Nikolaus. The tradition began to grow in Europe around the 12th century. In 1823, a poem was published called A Visit from Saint Nicholas. Often attributed to an English writer named Clement Clarke Moore, this verse describes Santa Claus crossing the skies in a sleigh pulled by his nine reindeer to deliver the presents on time.
This story spread with the popularity of the poem and the modern legend eventually evolved. In 1931, the soft drink brand Coca-Cola commissioned artist Haddon Sundblom to create Santa illustrations for their holiday advertisements. These images depicted a jolly, plump Santa in a red suit with white trim—closely aligned with their brand colors. Sundblom’s work became iconic and helped cement the red-suited Santa in popular culture worldwide.
Since the reindeer were incorporated into many of these images, their part in the story has been solidified into Christmas tradition around the world. While we know how reindeer and Christmas are linked, the next section explains why this is.
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Why reindeer are so closely associated with Christmas
To understand the meaning of reindeer at Christmas, we must delve into these fascinating creatures, often depicted as pulling Santa's sleigh. In the realm of Christmas lore, they are imbued with magical powers, enabling them to fly. Their role in holiday traditions originated with Moore's poem where he gave life to eight reindeer. The names of Santa's reindeer according to Moore are:
- Dasher
- Dancer
- Prancer
- Vixen
- Comet
- Cupid
- Donner (originally ‘Dunder’)
- Blitzen (originally ‘Blixem’)
Although some state these reindeer are either male or female, their sex is not specified in the poem.
In 1939, Robert L. May’s story Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer introduced a ninth reindeer. Known as Rudolph, he was positioned at the front of Santa’s sleigh. Rudolph is universally described as having a glowing red nose. The elves, in many versions of the Christmas story, are said to care for and feed Santa’s reindeer, dividing their time between toy-making and tending to the sleigh team.
While we call them magical creatures that fly, reindeer are also real animals. They are integral to the survival of many Arctic communities. Although they are not truly airborne, reindeer (Rangifer tarandus) are remarkable animals adapted to extreme environments. Indigenous Arctic peoples, such as the Sámi of Scandinavia and the Nenets of Siberia, rely on them for transportation, clothing and food, demonstrating their vital importance in these regions.
Reindeer belong to the deer family (Cervidae) and have a thick, dense coat that helps them endure frigid temperatures. They are highly migratory animals, traveling in herds and capable of covering distances of up to 5,000 kilometers during seasonal migrations. Today, reindeer inhabit the Arctic and sub-Arctic zones, including North America (where they are called caribou), Russia, Norway and Sweden.
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Peaceful by nature, reindeer graze on wild vegetation such as grasses, mushrooms and tree bark. They are types of ruminant animals, like cows or sheep. They also have an exceptional sense of smell that enables them to locate food beneath snow layers in harsh winter conditions. As prey animals, their natural predators include wolves, golden eagles, lynxes and bears. Humans also hunt reindeer, often as part of traditional subsistence practices.
As we can see, there is dual role of reindeer as both iconic figures of Christmas lore and essential components of Arctic ecosystems. Their enduring presence in holiday traditions and their practical importance in real-world cultures make them a truly remarkable species.
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