Reindeer are a type of deer native to the Arctic and Subarctic regions of the Northern Hemisphere. In North America, reindeer are called caribou. Some subspecies of reindeer are quite rare. Flying reindeer are reputedly the rarest.

On Christmas Eve night around 1823, Professor Clement Clarke Moore was up late. His wife and children safely tucked in their beds, the very practical professor heard a noise outside the house and looked through the frosty window to see what it might be,

when, what to my wondering eyes should appear,
but a miniature sleigh, and eight tiny reindeer,
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, Dunder and Blixem!

“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

That was them, eight flying reindeer and none other than Santa Claus delivering presents to all those girls and boys on the night when time stops for the jolly old elf and his Christmas deliveries.

The Professor dashed off, after St. Nick had left – of course, and wrote it all down. “Twas the Night Before Christmas” was published on December 23, 1823 – only a part of the full writing is reproduced above. The poem is probably the best known Christmas verse in the history of Christmas. It may also have been the first recorded siting of flying reindeer. I love to read it every Christmas Eve, especially to the young children who haven’t heard the story or seen a flying reindeer — yet.

Some years later, I think it was the Christmas Eve of 1938. That was a bad one. The snow was snowing everywhere around the planet, where snow can snow and even some places where it’s not supposed to. Fog was fogging and snow was snowing. The weather was so bad that Santa couldn’t see a thing.

Wondering what to do, Santa looked around his secret invisible North Pole headquarters and noticed a red glow off there, where the young reindeer were playing. You know, the reindeer that were finishing their training but weren’t on schedule to fly that night.

“Could you have that red bulb step over here?” Santa asked his chief elf.

A young reindeer was brought forward. He was a good looking fellow, strong enough to pull the sled.

“What’s that on your nose, young feller?” Santa asked.

“A light, sir,” the reindeer nervously scrapped a hoof in the snow. He knew he didn’t look like the other young reindeer and they made fun of him, but he was ready to pull that sled and he wanted to fly.

“What’s your name?” Santa asked.

“Rudolph, sir, I mean Santa sir.”

Santa laughed a deep rumbling happy laugh that only Santa can laugh. “Well, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, I have just the job for you. How would you like to go on a trip around the world?”

Rudolph beamed as Santa turned to his chief elf. “Hook up Rudolph here. He’s number nine. With his nose so bright, he’ll guide the sleigh tonight.” Santa climbed in, turned and shouted with a deep and happy rumble of fun, “We’re ready to ride.”

In Chicago that Christmas Eve of 1938, Robert May was caring for his sick wife. He looked out the window of his bedroom and saw a strange light. A red dot, it grew and glowed. Then, a sleigh pulled up beside the window and stopped in mid-air.  The sled was pulled by nine reindeer, and the one in front had a most curious red nose. The laugh brought his head back to the red-suited driver, who smiled and gave him a wink as the whole contraption dashed away into the snow and sleet, leaving him wondering if he really had seen any of that at all.

Back at work as an advertising copywriter for Montgomery Ward, Robert May’s boss stopped by and asked if he would write something cheery for the next season of Christmas shoppers. Robert knew just what to write. The shoppers loved Robert May’s Rudolph poem, and some 2.5 million copies were distributed in 1939. The poem became so popular that, in 1949, the singing cowboy, Gene Autry, released the song, “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.” The song was a phenomenal success and has become one of the best loved Christmas songs. I particularly like the last line:

Rudolph, the red-nosed reindeer
had a very shiny nose.
And if you ever saw him,
you would even say it glows.

All of the other reindeer
used to laugh and call him names.
They never let poor Rudolph
join in any reindeer games.

Then one foggy Christmas Eve
Santa came to say:
“Rudolph with your nose so bright,
won’t you guide my sleigh tonight?”

Then all the reindeer loved him
as they shouted out with glee,
Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer,
you’ll go down in history!

And he did, and we know now there are flying reindeer, and one of the nine has a red nose that glows, and they and that jolly driver are all very busy and on their way, no matter what the weather may be. Bring on the snow and layer in the frog. Santa Claus will be here for all those boys and girls, and a few parents too, as they wait patiently searching the skies out their bedroom windows hoping to see Santa and his sleigh and catch a glimpse of that famous nose of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.

There, I see it, do you? Keep watching, it won’t be long now,

Grandpa Jim