Let’s start with the original eight, because that’s where the magic really began. In 1823, a poem called “A Visit from St. Nicholas” (you know it as ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas) introduced us to Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner, and Blitzen. These guys were the OGs, the A-team of aerial hoofers.
Their names are a bit of a workout for your tongue, aren’t they? Donner and Blitzen actually come from German words meaning “thunder” and “lightning”—which makes sense, considering Santa’s ride is basically a flying storm of presents. Eight reindeer was the standard for a good 116 years.
But Wait—There’s a Ninth! Enter Rudolph
Then, in 1939, everything changed. A certain red-nosed reindeer crashed the party. Rudolph, with his shiny, glowing schnoz, was created by Robert L. May for a Montgomery Ward department store booklet. He wasn’t in the original poem, but he was so popular he became a permanent ninth member of the team.
So now we have nine reindeer. But here’s the trick: Rudolph isn’t always considered a “harness” reindeer in the traditional sense. In the famous song, he only leads the sleigh on foggy nights. That means most of the time, Santa is still flying with the original eight pulling the weight.
