Although the history of Santa Claus and the History of Christmas reindeer is several hundred years old and is shrouded in mythology, reindeer Christmas lights are a great reminder of the many tales of Santa Claus. Regardless of the story or history being told, the central theme is always Santa’s generosity and these lights can serve as an emblem of that spirit as well as providing festive and novel decor.

Several novels postulate about the history of the reindeer and how they began to pull Santa’s sleigh.  Disparate tales from various cultures that call Santa Claus names such as Kris Kringle, Saint Nick or Father Christmas combine to form what we currently believe about Santa. 

One such tale claims that Kris was an orphan boy who lived in one of the coldest snowiest countries.  When his parents died, no single family in the village could afford to care for him so instead they each agreed to take him for one year.  At the end of the year, the young boy Kris would give the children in the family a gift, which was usually a toy that he had crafted out of wood. 

reinderr

Soon, he was giving toys to every child in the village on Christmas.  Although he had a sleigh to carry the presents, he needed a beast to pull the sleigh so he could bring the presents to the children quickly.  He bought two reindeer called Donder and Blitzen, which translates into thunder and lightening.  The reindeer were thus called because of their immense speed.  The other reindeer, Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet and Cupid were their children, and he purchased them one by one and they helped him to pull his sleigh.

If it were not for the reindeer, children would have to go without presents so whether you hang your reindeer Christmas lights on your tree or outside your house, they are a promise to children everywhere that the Christmas spirit of love and giving will reach them too.

Reinderrs

The reindeer were reputably first introduced to the world when they were mentioned in an 1823 poem called A Visit from Saint Nicholaus otherwise known as The Night Before Christmas.  In this poem, a man is woken by the sound of the reindeer, and he looks out his window and hears Santa urging them on by name. Most people now think that the reindeer fly, and it is speculated that their flying was derived from a passage of the poem, which says the word fly.  However, the author probably meant fly as in move quickly rather than take literal flight.  Proof that during that time in history, most people did not believe that the reindeer actually flew can be found by reading the L Frank Baum’s novel "The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus." In this novel, published about the same time as the poem, the reindeer do not fly.

Whether you think reindeer fly or not, your Reindeer Christmas lights would not be complete without the most infamous reindeer, Rudolph the red nosed reindeer. He was added to Santa’s team in the mid 1900′s.  When your family and guests gaze at your lights, they will not need to know the History of Christmas reindeer to understand how beautiful they are or appreciate how much they add to your regular Christmas decor. 

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