As the clock for Christmas is ticking down and the holiday approaches, it’s nice to look back on the many stories we share during this season. One of the most famous and traditional stories is that of Santa Claus, who goes by many aliases across cultures, and his trusty reindeer. 

To set the record straight, reindeer are in fact an actual animal species, not mythical animals. According to History.com the actual story of Santa’s nine animal helpers stems from a poem made in 1823 called “A Visit From St. Nicholas,” more popularly known as “The Night Before Christmas” written by Clement Clarke Moore. This well-known poem is what popularized the ideas of the reindeer. While there are nine reindeer in total, Rudolph “the red nosed reindeer” has been made famous and mainstreamed by the media and entertainment industry. His personal story was created in 1939, first appearing in a coloring book for children that was produced by the department store Montgomery Ward for the seasonal holiday. With that being said, the others are not forgotten as they are a crucial part to the songs and folk tales about how Santa delivers his presents.

Reindeer symbolize wisdom, resourcefulness, cleverness, knowledge, creativity, inventiveness and cleverness, thus adding to their importance of Santa’s job of delivering presents. The next time you think of Santa and his helpers, you now know their origin and the meaning behind them. Happy Holidays!!