Santa Claus' reindeer
Encyclopedia
Santa Claus's reindeer are a team of flying reindeer
traditionally held to pull the sleigh of Santa Claus
and help him deliver Christmas
gifts. The commonly cited names of the reindeer are Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donder (or Donner), and Blitzen. They are based on those used in the 1823 poem A Visit from St. Nicholas
, arguably the basis of reindeer's popularity as Christmas symbols, where Donder/Donner and Blitzen were originally called Dunder and Blixem respectively.
The subsequent popularity of the Christmas song Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
has led to Rudolph often joining the list.
" (also known as "The Night Before Christmas" or "Twas the Night Before Christmas") is largely credited for the contemporary Christmas lore that includes the eight flying reindeer and their names.
The relevant segment of the poem reads:
In An American Anthology, 1787–1900, Edmund Clarence Stedman reprints the 1844 Clement Clarke Moore
version of the poem, including the German
spelling of "Donder and Blitzen," rather than the original 1823 version using the Dutch
spelling, "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 Christmas Mountains
of New Brunswick
, Canada
are named after the original eight reindeer.
Since this poem, other books, movies, and music have contributed to the Christmas reindeer lore. The 1994 remake of the 1947 film Miracle on 34th Street
, for example, asserts that reindeer can only fly on Christmas Eve.
chain of department stores in 1939, and published as a book to be given to children in the store at Christmas
time.
According to this story, Rudolph's glowing red nose made him a social outcast among the other reindeer. However, one Christmas Eve Santa Claus was having a lot of difficulty making his flight around the world because it was too foggy. When Santa went to Rudolph's house to deliver his presents he noticed the glowing red nose in the darkened bedroom and decided it could be a makeshift lamp to guide his sleigh. He asked Rudolph to lead the sleigh for the rest of the night, Rudolph accepted and returned home a hero for having helped Santa Claus.
Rudolph's story is a popular Christmas story that has been retold in numerous forms, most notably a popular song, a television special
, which departed significantly from Robert L. May's original story, in having Rudolph being Donner's son and living amongst Santa Claus' reindeer from birth, and a feature film.
Several literature, television, film and music pieces have made references to other reindeer. In many cases, these are explicitly related to other reindeer already in the fleet.
Reindeer
The reindeer , also known as the caribou in North America, is a deer from the Arctic and Subarctic, including both resident and migratory populations. While overall widespread and numerous, some of its subspecies are rare and one has already gone extinct.Reindeer vary considerably in color and size...
traditionally held to pull the sleigh of Santa Claus
Santa Claus
Santa Claus is a folklore figure in various cultures who distributes gifts to children, normally on Christmas Eve. Each name is a variation of Saint Nicholas, but refers to Santa Claus...
and help him deliver Christmas
Christmas
Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
gifts. The commonly cited names of the reindeer are Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donder (or Donner), and Blitzen. They are based on those used in the 1823 poem A Visit from St. Nicholas
A Visit from St. Nicholas
"A Visit from St. Nicholas", also known as "The Night Before Christmas" and "'Twas the Night Before Christmas" from its first line, is a poem first published anonymously in 1823 and generally attributed to Clement Clarke Moore, although the claim has also been made that it was written by Henry...
, arguably the basis of reindeer's popularity as Christmas symbols, where Donder/Donner and Blitzen were originally called Dunder and Blixem respectively.
The subsequent popularity of the Christmas song Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer is a fictional reindeer with a glowing red nose. He is popularly known as "Santa's 9th Reindeer" and, when depicted, is the lead reindeer pulling Santa's sleigh on Christmas Eve. The luminosity of his nose is so great that it illuminates the team's path through...
has led to Rudolph often joining the list.
Commonly known names
- Dasher
- Dancer
- Prancer
- Vinicen
- Comet
- Cupid
- Donner (originally Dunder, then Donder)
- Blitzen (originally Blixem, then Blixen)
- Rudolph (as used in the song Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer)
The original eight reindeer
The poem by Clement C. Moore "A Visit from St. NicholasA Visit from St. Nicholas
"A Visit from St. Nicholas", also known as "The Night Before Christmas" and "'Twas the Night Before Christmas" from its first line, is a poem first published anonymously in 1823 and generally attributed to Clement Clarke Moore, although the claim has also been made that it was written by Henry...
" (also known as "The Night Before Christmas" or "Twas the Night Before Christmas") is largely credited for the contemporary Christmas lore that includes the eight flying reindeer and their names.
The relevant segment of the poem reads:
when, what to my wondering eyes should appear,
but a miniature sleigh, and eight tiny rein-deer,
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 call'd 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!"
As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly,
When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky;
So up to the house-top the coursers they flew,
In An American Anthology, 1787–1900, Edmund Clarence Stedman reprints the 1844 Clement Clarke Moore
Clement Clarke Moore
Clement Clarke Moore was an American professor of Oriental and Greek literature at Columbia College, now Columbia University. He donated land from his family estate for the foundation of the General Theological Seminary, where he was a professor of Biblical learning and compiled a two-volume...
version of the poem, including the German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
spelling of "Donder and Blitzen," rather than the original 1823 version using the Dutch
Dutch language
Dutch is a West Germanic language and the native language of the majority of the population of the Netherlands, Belgium, and Suriname, the three member states of the Dutch Language Union. Most speakers live in the European Union, where it is a first language for about 23 million and a second...
spelling, "Dunder and Blixem." Both phrases translate as "Thunder and Lightning" in English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
, though German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
for thunder is now spelled Donner, and the Dutch words would nowadays be spelled Donder and Bliksem.
The Christmas Mountains
Christmas Mountains
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. The mountains, in part, separate the Miramichi River watershed from the...
of New Brunswick
New Brunswick
New Brunswick is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the only province in the federation that is constitutionally bilingual . The provincial capital is Fredericton and Saint John is the most populous city. Greater Moncton is the largest Census Metropolitan Area...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
are named after the original eight reindeer.
Since this poem, other books, movies, and music have contributed to the Christmas reindeer lore. The 1994 remake of the 1947 film Miracle on 34th Street
Miracle on 34th Street
Miracle on 34th Street is a 1947 Christmas film written by George Seaton from a story by Valentine Davies, directed by George Seaton and starring Maureen O'Hara, John Payne, Natalie Wood and Edmund Gwenn...
, for example, asserts that reindeer can only fly on Christmas Eve.
Rudolph (the red-nosed reindeer)
Rudolph's story was originally written in verse by Robert L. May for the Montgomery WardMontgomery Ward
Montgomery Ward is an online retailer that carries the same name as the former American department store chain, founded as the world's #1 mail order business in 1872 by Aaron Montgomery Ward, and which went out of business in 2001...
chain of department stores in 1939, and published as a book to be given to children in the store at Christmas
Christmas
Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
time.
According to this story, Rudolph's glowing red nose made him a social outcast among the other reindeer. However, one Christmas Eve Santa Claus was having a lot of difficulty making his flight around the world because it was too foggy. When Santa went to Rudolph's house to deliver his presents he noticed the glowing red nose in the darkened bedroom and decided it could be a makeshift lamp to guide his sleigh. He asked Rudolph to lead the sleigh for the rest of the night, Rudolph accepted and returned home a hero for having helped Santa Claus.
Rudolph's story is a popular Christmas story that has been retold in numerous forms, most notably a popular song, a television special
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (TV special)
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer is a Christmas television special produced in stop motion animation by Rankin/Bass. It first aired Sunday, December 6, 1964, on the NBC television network in the USA, and was sponsored by General Electric under the umbrella title of The General Electric Fantasy Hour...
, which departed significantly from Robert L. May's original story, in having Rudolph being Donner's son and living amongst Santa Claus' reindeer from birth, and a feature film.
Additional reindeer
Several literature, television, film and music pieces have made references to other reindeer. In many cases, these are explicitly related to other reindeer already in the fleet.
Film and television
- The 1964 Rudolph special features Fireball as one of several reindeer trying out for the sleigh team. With fire-red hair, Fireball is the son of Blitzen and his mind is often preoccupied with does; another reindeer is said to be the son of Dasher and struggles at flying, along with two other reindeer fawns of the same age. Comet's daughter, a young fawn named ClariceClariceClarice is a given name of Latin and Greek origin. The "Clarice" spelling is the Germanic variant of the Latin Clarus and the Greek Clarissa .It may refer to:*Clarice Vance, American actress...
, is also featured, although she does not try out for the team, she does become the mother Maddie whose father is Barrett Besser. Donner is portrayed as Rudolph's father/sire.- The sketch comedy series, MADtvMADtvMADtv is an American sketch comedy television series. It licensed the name and logo of Mad, but otherwise had no connection with the humor magazine outside the animated Spy vs. Spy and Don Martin cartoon shorts and images of Alfred E. Neuman that the show featured during the late 1990s. Its first...
, commissioned a trilogy of Rudolph parodies from Corky Quakenbush beginning in 1995, using the characters from the 1964 Rudolph special in MafiaMafiaThe Mafia is a criminal syndicate that emerged in the mid-nineteenth century in Sicily, Italy. It is a loose association of criminal groups that share a common organizational structure and code of conduct, and whose common enterprise is protection racketeering...
settings. The first, "Raging Rudolph", identifies the two fawns seen with Fireball during the original special (Fireball does not appear in the trilogy) as Jimmy the Antler and Franky Two Times.
- The sketch comedy series, MADtv
- The 1979 feature film, Rudolph and Frosty's Christmas in JulyRudolph and Frosty's Christmas in JulyRudolph and Frosty's Christmas in July is a feature-length 1979 Rankin-Bass crossover sequel filmed in stop-motion animation in the style of their 1964 Christmas special Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. It was 97 minutes long. Although designed as a theatrical release , it made its U.S...
, features an antagonist reindeer named Scratcher.
- "Lightning", from a 1996 Sesame StreetSesame StreetSesame Street has undergone significant changes in its history. According to writer Michael Davis, by the mid-1970s the show had become "an American institution". The cast and crew expanded during this time, including the hiring of women in the crew and additional minorities in the cast. The...
Christmas special, "Elmo Saves ChristmasElmo Saves ChristmasElmo Saves Christmas is a children's home video that was released in 1996. In the story, Elmo learns that Christmas cannot occur every day. The Christmas special is the basis idea from the Christmas short story, 'Christmas Every Day' by William Dean Howells,...
", is a reindeer-in-training. Lightning helps Santa by taking Elmo, who wished for Christmas 24/7, to the future to see what Sesame Street would look like with Christmas every day.
- The 1998 feature film, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer: The MovieRudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer: The MovieRudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer: The Movie is a 1998 animated film based on the film of the same name by Robert May. It was the first theatrical feature from GoodTimes Entertainment, long known as a home video company. The film's animation was produced by Yowza! Animation, Wang Film Productions &...
, introduces Mitzi as Rudolph's mother and Blitzen's wife (as opposed to the Rankin-Bass version, wherein Donner is Rudolph's father). It also features two other reindeer named Zoey and Arrow.
- In the 1999 movie Blizzard, other reindeer are shown to live at the North Pole: Blizzard, who has the ability to become invisible and to see the whereabouts of people, DJ, Blizzard's best friend, and Aphrodite, a female reindeer who reports to an elder called Archimedes.
- In the 1999 TV special Robbie the ReindeerRobbie the ReindeerRobbie the Reindeer is a series of three animated comedy television specials shown on BBC One at Christmas, filmed in aid of Comic Relief. Written by Kevin Cecil and Andy Riley, the programmes are based on the story of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, with Robbie as Rudolph's son and the tenth of...
, the eponymous Robbie is obstensibly assumed to be the son of Rudolph. His special feature is his nose, which has supernaturalSupernaturalThe supernatural or is that which is not subject to the laws of nature, or more figuratively, that which is said to exist above and beyond nature...
powers that allow him to jump and fly farther and faster than most reindeer; in addition, this leads to Robbie's literally having a "nose" for geographyGeographyGeography is the science that studies the lands, features, inhabitants, and phenomena of Earth. A literal translation would be "to describe or write about the Earth". The first person to use the word "geography" was Eratosthenes...
, as it can lead Robbie to just about any location in the world.
- Chet is a young reindeer in training who is introduced in the 2002 feature film, The Santa Clause 2The Santa Clause 2The Santa Clause 2 is a 2002 American comedy film and the sequel to the 1994 film, The Santa Clause. All the principal actors from the first film reprise their roles, except for Peter Boyle, who returns portraying a different minor character...
. Because of his age, he has a tendency to be clumsy and awkward; however, he is able to help Santa save Christmas.
- The 2002 South ParkSouth ParkSouth Park is an American animated television series created by Trey Parker and Matt Stone for the Comedy Central television network. Intended for mature audiences, the show has become famous for its crude language, surreal, satirical, and dark humor that lampoons a wide range of topics...
Christmas special, "Red Sleigh DownRed Sleigh Down"Red Sleigh Down" is episode 96 of the Comedy Central series South Park. It originally aired on December 11, 2002. The episode is notable for the return of Kenny from his death in Season Five...
", introduces an entirely new fleet of reindeer after the traditional reindeer are killed, when the sleigh is shot down as Santa tries to bring Christmas to IraqIraqIraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
. 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. Their future fate beyond this one incident is unknown; either the replacements take over permanently, or the originals are resurrectedResurrectionResurrection refers to the literal coming back to life of the biologically dead. It is used both with respect to particular individuals or the belief in a General Resurrection of the dead at the end of the world. The General Resurrection is featured prominently in Jewish, Christian, and Muslim...
without explanation (see Kenny's deaths for an explanation of this phenomenon in the South Park universe).
- In the 2006 TV special Holidaze: The Christmas That Almost Didn't HappenHolidaze: The Christmas That Almost Didn't HappenHolidaze: The Christmas That Almost Didn't Happen is a stop-motion animated Christmas television special directed by David H. Brooks, that originally aired in 2006. The show's plot has Rusty Reindeer joining a support group for depressed holiday icons, and he and the other characters search for...
, Rusty is said to be Rudolph's brother. Unlike the other reindeer, Rusty is powerless, flightless, and notably clumsy. Unfit for pulling Santa's sleigh, he instead assists Santa and the other reindeer from air traffic controlAir traffic controlAir traffic control is a service provided by ground-based controllers who direct aircraft on the ground and in the air. The primary purpose of ATC systems worldwide is to separate aircraft to prevent collisions, to organize and expedite the flow of traffic, and to provide information and other...
.
- The TV series, My Friends Tigger & PoohMy Friends Tigger & PoohMy Friends Tigger & Pooh is a computer animated television series, inspired by Winnie-the-Pooh by A. A. Milne. The television series features Winnie-the-Pooh and his friends, including two new characters: a brave 6-year-old red-headed girl named Darby and her dog Buster...
, introduced a special Super Sleuth Christmas Movie in 2007 that included Holly, a young reindeer fawn.
- The 2008 television special, The Flight Before ChristmasThe Flight Before ChristmasNiko & The Way to the Stars is a 2008 animated Christmas film directed by Michael Hegner and Kari Juusonen. It was produced by Animaker Oy , A.Film , Ulysses Films and Magma Films . The production and animation were spread to all four countries...
, features Nico. Nico is Prancer's love childLove child"Love child" is a euphemism for a child born out of wedlock. See Legitimacy .Love child may also refer to:In music:* Lovechild , an indie rock band from Belfast, Northern Ireland...
from a one-night standOne-night standOriginally, a one-night stand was a single theatre performance, usually by a guest performer on tour, as opposed to an ongoing engagement. Today, however, the term is more commonly defined as a single sexual encounter, in which neither participant has any intention or expectation of a relationship...
with a regular reindeer, and the young Nico goes to the North Pole to seek his father (whom he believes, but is not sure, is one of Santa's reindeer, and he doesn't know which one). Through Nico's courage, he is able to learn to fly, proving his ancestry in the process, and saves the reindeer from a pack of ravenous wolves. (Rudolph is absent from the sleigh team in this special, presumably for copyrightCopyrightCopyright is a legal concept, enacted by most governments, giving the creator of an original work exclusive rights to it, usually for a limited time...
purposes.)
- Thrasher is a top-secret, oversized reindeer introduced in the 2009 Disney special Prep and LandingPrep and LandingDisney Prep & Landing is a computer animated television special, based on an idea by Chris Williams at Walt Disney Animation Studios and developed by Kevin Deters and Stevie Wermers-Skelton into a half-hour Christmas special. It first aired December 8, 2009 on ABC.The special was released on-line...
. He leads the titular "prep and landing" team of elves in a sleigh ahead of Santa Claus' main sled. He is significantly larger and tougher than the main reindeer, and he is said to be Dasher's cousin. (Rudolph is again absent from this special, with lighting instead provided by the prep and landing team.)
Literature and publications
- L. Frank BaumL. Frank BaumLyman Frank Baum was an American author of children's books, best known for writing The Wonderful Wizard of Oz...
's 1902 story The Life and Adventures of Santa ClausThe Life and Adventures of Santa ClausThe Life and Adventures of Santa Claus is a 1902 children's book, written by L. Frank Baum and illustrated by Mary Cowles Clark.-Infancy, Youth, Motivation:...
includes a list of ten reindeer, none of whom match the names of the versions found in "A Visit from St. Nicholas." Flossie and Glossie are Santa's principal reindeer in Baum's story. Claus gathers eight more reindeer, named in rhyming pairs: Racer, Pacer, Fearless, Peerless, Ready, Steady, Feckless, and Speckless. When the story was remade into a television specialThe Life & Adventures of Santa Claus (TV special)The Life & Adventures of Santa Claus is a 1985 Christmas television special produced in stop motion animation by Rankin/Bass. It is based on The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus, a 1902 children's book by L...
in 1985, the television producers scrapped Baum's reindeer and replaced them with those found in "A Visit from St. Nicholas."
- Olive, from a 1997 children's book and 1999 television special entitled Olive, the Other ReindeerOlive, the Other ReindeerOlive, the Other Reindeer is a CGI animated Christmas television special written by Steve Young, and directed by Oscar Moore. The feature was produced by Matt Groening's The Curiosity Company and animated by DNA Productions...
, is not a reindeer but a dog. She mistook a news report regarding the plight of one of Santa's reindeer as a "help wanted" ad and heads to the North Pole, where she fills in for the ill reindeer for the year. The title of the story references a mondegreenMondegreenA mondegreen is the mishearing or misinterpretation of a phrase as a result of near homophony, in a way that gives it a new meaning. It most commonly is applied to a line in a poem or a lyric in a song...
derived from misinterpreting the words "all of the other reindeer" in the Rudolph story and song.
- The comic stripComic stripA comic strip is a sequence of drawings arranged in interrelated panels to display brief humor or form a narrative, often serialized, with text in balloons and captions....
, Over the HedgeOver the HedgeOver the Hedge is a syndicated comic strip written and drawn by Michael Fry and T. Lewis. It tells the story of a raccoon, turtle, a squirrel, and their friends who come to terms with their woodlands being taken over by suburbia, trying to survive the increasing flow of humanity and technology...
(which was made into a 2006 filmOver the Hedge (film)Over the Hedge is a 2006 computer animated family action comedy film based on the characters from United Media comic strip of the same name. Directed by Tim Johnson and Karey Kirkpatrick, and produced by Bonnie Arnold, it was released in the United States on May 19, 2006.The film was produced by...
), added a character named Ralph, the InfraredInfraredInfrared light is electromagnetic radiation with a wavelength longer than that of visible light, measured from the nominal edge of visible red light at 0.74 micrometres , and extending conventionally to 300 µm...
Nosed Reindeer, who is Rudolph's brother and has a nose that emits infrared heat (useful for heating food and defrosting Santa's sleigh). He is often envious of his more famous brother and, possibly because of an inferiority complexInferiority complexAn inferiority complex, in the fields of psychology and psychoanalysis, is a feeling that one is inferior to others in some way. Such feelings can arise from an imagined or actual inferiority in the afflicted person...
, is depressed and overweight.
Music
- In the song "¿Dónde Está Santa Claus?¿Dónde Está Santa Claus?¿Dónde Está Santa Claus? is a Christmas song. Augie Rios had a hit with the song in 1958 which featured the Mark Jeffrey Orchestra...
", recorded by Augie Rios in 1958, two other reindeer are named in the verse that goes: "I hope he won't forget to crack his castanetCastanetCastanets are a percussion instrument , used in Moorish, Ottoman, ancient Roman, Italian, Spanish, Sephardic Music, and Portuguese music. The instrument consists of a pair of concave shells joined on one edge by a string. They are held in the hand and used to produce clicks for rhythmic accents or...
, and to his reindeer say: On Pancho, on Vixen, on Pedro, on Blitzen, Ole, Ole, Ole!"
- In the 1958 Chuck BerryChuck BerryCharles Edward Anderson "Chuck" Berry is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter, and one of the pioneers of rock and roll music. With songs such as "Maybellene" , "Roll Over Beethoven" , "Rock and Roll Music" and "Johnny B...
song, "Run Rudolph RunRun Rudolph Run"Run, Rudolph, Run" is a Christmas song popularized by Chuck Berry and written by Johnny Marks and Marvin Brodie and published by St. Nicholas Music . The song was first recorded by Berry in 1958 and released as Chess Records 1714...
", the verses refer to Randolph, "way too far behind."
- The Ray StevensRay StevensRay Stevens is an American country music, pop singer-songwriter who has become known for his novelty songs.-Early career:...
song Santa Claus is Watching You, features Clyde, a camelCamelA camel is an even-toed ungulate within the genus Camelus, bearing distinctive fatty deposits known as humps on its back. There are two species of camels: the dromedary or Arabian camel has a single hump, and the bactrian has two humps. Dromedaries are native to the dry desert areas of West Asia,...
borrowed from Stevens' previous song "Ahab the ArabAhab The Arab"Ahab the Arab" is a novelty song recorded by Ray Stevens in 1962. In the song, Arab is pronounced "Ay-rab" to rhyme with Ahab.- Lyrics :The song portrays a "sheik of the burning sands" named Ahab. He is highly decorated with jewelry, and every night he hops on Clyde, his camel, on his way to see...
", who replaces Rudolph for the year. According to the original 1965 version of the song, Rudolph "dislocated his hip in a TwistTwist (dance)The Twist was a dance inspired by rock and roll music. It became the first worldwide dance craze in the early 1960s, enjoying immense popularity among young people and drawing fire from critics who felt it was too provocative. It inspired dances such as the Jerk, the Pony, the Watusi, the Mashed...
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 the lover remains true to the singer). The song also lists the original fleet of reindeer plus two other reindeer named Bruce and Marvin. Later editions of the songs add a longer more rambling list: Leon, Cletus, George, Bill, Slick, Do-Right, Ace, Blackie, Queenie, Prince, Spot, and Rover.
- In Cheech & Chong's 1971 record "Santa Claus and His Old Lady", Cheech's character mentions reindeer named Donner, Blitzen, Chuy, Tavo, and Beto. The last three are typical Mexican nicknames; for Jesus, Gustavo/Octavio, and Roberto/Alberto.
- Loretta LynnLoretta LynnLoretta Lynn is an American country music singer-songwriter, author and philanthropist. Born in Butcher Hollow, Kentucky to a coal miner father, Lynn married at 13 years old, was a mother soon after, and moved to Washington with her husband, Oliver Lynn. Their marriage was sometimes tumultuous; he...
's 1974 single "Shadrack, the Black Reindeer" introduced the speedy Shadrack. 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.
- Joe DiffieJoe DiffieJoe Logan Diffie is an American country music singer known for his ballads and novelty songs. Between 1990 and 2004, Diffie charted 35 cuts on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart, including five number one singles: his debut release "Home", "If the Devil Danced ", "Third Rock from the Sun",...
's 1995 single "Leroy the Redneck Reindeer" features Leroy, who is Rudolph's cousin. Leroy, as stated in the title, is a redneck who wears a John DeereJohn DeereJohn Deere was an American blacksmith and manufacturer who founded Deere & Company, one of the largest and leading agricultural and construction equipment manufacturers in the world...
tractor hat and has a knack for dancing the two-stepTwo-step (dance move)The two-step is a step found in many folk dances, and in various other dances. It seems to take its name from the 19th century dance related to the Polka....
. Leroy replaces his ill cousin Rudolph as the leader of the sleigh team for the year.
- Bob DylanBob DylanBob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet, film director and painter. He has been a major and profoundly influential figure in popular music and culture for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly...
's 2009 version of "Must Be SantaMust Be Santa (song)"Must Be Santa" is a Christmas song that was originally recorded in 1961 by Mitch Miller. Hal Moore and Bill Fredericks wrote the song. Although the lyrics are different, it has exactly the same tune as "Oh, You Sweet One", written by Moe Jaffe and Richard Hardt, and recorded by Thurl Ravenscroft...
" has a line at the end of the song which replaces half of the reindeer with former Presidents of the United StatesPresident of the United StatesThe President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
: "Eisenhower, KennedyJohn F. KennedyJohn Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy , often referred to by his initials JFK, was the 35th President of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963....
, Johnson, NixonRichard NixonRichard Milhous Nixon was the 37th President of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. The only president to resign the office, Nixon had previously served as a US representative and senator from California and as the 36th Vice President of the United States from 1953 to 1961 under...
... CarterJimmy CarterJames Earl "Jimmy" Carter, Jr. is an American politician who served as the 39th President of the United States and was the recipient of the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize, the only U.S. President to have received the Prize after leaving office...
, ReaganRonald ReaganRonald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
, BushGeorge H. W. BushGeorge Herbert Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 41st President of the United States . He had previously served as the 43rd Vice President of the United States , a congressman, an ambassador, and Director of Central Intelligence.Bush was born in Milton, Massachusetts, to...
and ClintonBill ClintonWilliam Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
."
Radio
- WLIT-FM, a Christmas musicChristmas musicChristmas music comprises a variety of genres of music normally performed or heard around the Christmas season, which tends to begin in the months leading up the actual holiday and end in the weeks shortly thereafter.-Early:...
station in Chicago, Illinois, uses a reindeer mascotMascotThe term mascot – defined as a term for any person, animal, or object thought to bring luck – colloquially includes anything used to represent a group with a common public identity, such as a school, professional sports team, society, military unit, or brand name...
named Edison (named after inventor Thomas EdisonThomas EdisonThomas Alva Edison was an American inventor and businessman. He developed many devices that greatly influenced life around the world, including the phonograph, the motion picture camera, and a long-lasting, practical electric light bulb. In addition, he created the world’s first industrial...
) with a glowing yellow-white nose similar to an incandescent lamp. For public appearances, "Edison" is portrayed with a Rudolph costume, including a red nose.
Stage productions
- Adolph, The Racially Pure Reindeer was the brother of Rudolph in a Christmas stage show by Big NazoBig NazoBig Nazo is a performance group headquartered in Providence, Rhode Island. Erminio Pinque, who is both the founder and artistic designer of Big Nazo, envisioned his concept as a puppet show without the stage....
puppets in 1993. In their large-scale puppetPuppetA puppet is an inanimate object or representational figure animated or manipulated by an entertainer, who is called a puppeteer. It is used in puppetry, a play or a presentation that is a very ancient form of theatre....
rock and rollRock and rollRock and roll is a genre of popular music that originated and evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s, primarily from a combination of African American blues, country, jazz, and gospel music...
show, Adolph (an obvious parody of German dictator Adolf HitlerAdolf HitlerAdolf Hitler was an Austrian-born German politician and the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party , commonly referred to as the Nazi Party). He was Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945, and head of state from 1934 to 1945...
) goes insane and must be put down by one of Santa's elves.