December is one of the most favorite month of a year. It is considered as the time to say goodbye a current year and welcome a new year. Further more, Christmas is an occasion for people to spend time with family and friend as well as take rest after a whole working year.
Regarding to Christmas, people especially children are looking forward to seeing the special character – Santa Claus with his Reindeer. According to the tradition and legend, Santa pulls his Reindeer to deliver gifts to children on Christmas evening through the night.
However, there is a truth which a few people know – REINDEER is not only one kind. In this article, you will find out all of the animals that help out Santa Claus at Christmas, their names in various languages, as well as their origins.
How Many Reindeer Does Santa Have?
The total of Reindeers which Santa has is 9. The names are: Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner, Blitzen, and Rudolph as well. Santa named his Reindeers after the letters in the Greek alphabet. Each name contains a little secret, a hidden meaning, real-world origins as well as color meanings.
Here is the list of Santa’s reindeer and the meanings of their names:
Santa’s Reindeer Personalities
| REINDEER | PERSONALITY TRAIT | SKILL |
|---|---|---|
| Dasher | fast and furious reindeer | Love Sewing |
| Dancer | Love to dance and she is extrovert | Dancing and stylish |
| Prancer | A bit vain, though affectionate | Provocative |
| Vixen | trick other reindeers | Mysterious and Magic |
| Comet | Charming and Attractive | Surround with kids and girls |
| Cupid | Affectionate | Spread the Love / Bring people together |
| Donner | Want to be center of attention | Singing skill |
| Blitzen | Fastest Reindeer, Lightning | infuse electric charge to others |
| Rudolph | Introvert, magical | Nose emits bright red glow |
| Olive | Acceptance, She accepts that she’s wrong | Excellent at hide-and-go-seek |
List of Names Santa’s Reindeers
1. Dasher – The Speed Demon
Fist of all, we figure out the meaning of the name “Dasher”. Dasher is a German name which means “Purse-maker”. Nicholas Breakold, who is known as the father of North American Harness racing, named him “Dasher”. Dasher was born in North America and he is known as the fastest reindeer! Thus, he is the first one to run at the sound of Santa’s sleigh bells.
Dasher is a ball of energy. He’s always ready to go and extremely fast! That’s a reason why he doesn’t always keep great control of his speed. He may get some troubles in the journeys if his party members don’t oversee him.
His personality is quite interesting! He has a big heart, loves to be social and pefers party much. Dasher is a happy reindeer and is aware of fashion. He is good at sports and prefers track and field.
2. Dancer – The Salsa Phenom
Dancer was born in Sweden in 1784 and was named by Carl Sundman who is an author as well as a trainer at a circus. He is known as the second-fastest reindeer with a speech of 100mph. Dancer has an unique personality – he is joyful, positive and great at dance moves.
Dancer loves a celebration so he tends to be around people and wants to be involved in a party whenever he’s not in the journey with Santa. His passion is dancing, he knows the tango, salsa, and merengue and even has ventured into contra- and square-dancing. Or even Do-si-do-ing is not easy but he still prefers.
3. Prancer – The Fairest of Them All
The third faster one listed out here is Prancer with a speed of 110mph. Pracer was born in Canada and he is considered as the most popular loyal reindeer in his country. His size is very great so that’s why he used to be the lead reindeer in the group with the size of 5′ 6″ and the antler spread of 4′ 5″.
Prancer looks impressive as he kicks and speeds through the air. This reindeer is kind, sweet, friendly and active. The role of leader is quite suitable for him because he knows how to take charge and communicate with others well. However, he is easy to get upset and can’t control his feeling well over a situation or party.
4. Vixen – The Most Enchanting Reindeer
Apart from those reindeers, the fourth one is quite fast. His name is Vixen who was named by Norman L.Jacobs in 1894. She is clever and is known as the most enchanting reindeer. If people ask: “Who is strong-willed?” The answer must be “Vixen”.
Vixen has an inner strength which helps her get along with others. She is quite nice to care of the others and leave them alone if they require. Vixen is highly loyal and easily understands what others think or want a break as well as helps them to solve their problems. Although he can get angry when others don’t listen to her, she is still a true leader. She doesn’t want to see anyone that was hurt or bullied at the party, she shows her anger to whom makes others hurt.
5. Comet: An All-Around Wonderful Reindeer
Do you know “An all-around wonderful Reindeer?” – It’s Comet! Why likes this? Because Comet is very friendly towards all the reindeers and loves playing with others especially his same species. Comet was named by Arthur G. Wright in 1851.
Same to Vixen, Comet is quite kind, sensitive and compassionate to understand how others feel and he is really to give his friends and family a hand or help them with their problems. He always wants to make others happy. I love being around the others so he tends to play games with them whenever he’s free. However, he also does jobs very well and he is known as the hardwroker.
6. Cupid: Loves Sharing Love
The most lovely reindeer we should list out here is Cupid. Right away with his name meaning, he is lovely and brings love to everyone. Cupid was named by Leo Models in 1930 and he is also known as the fifth fastest one with a speed of 120 mph but he only wants to run when everyone’s ready to go.
Cupid tends to stay with his close friends and is very friendly with others at party. He can help out if someone needs. He also understand quickly how others think or feel. He helps out with their others with the desire of seeing people happy. That’s why he is considered as a forgiving reindeer who always behaves in any situations with a positive way.
Cupid, another member of Santa’s reindeer team, symbolizes the love and affection shared during the holiday season. If you are looking for some new anime to watch during the holidays, check out the top Chinese Anime recommendations on our website. These anime depict supernatural powers and heartwarming messages of happiness and love, perfect for the holiday mood.
7. Donner: Always a Party
Donner means “Thunder” so that’s why it was named to this one. Donner is a noisy reindeer and he was noticed much when he runs with Santa just because of his loudness. Donner loves parties and he’s quite excited to be at parties! Although he tends to be always a party, he runs well at the speed of 125 mph.
With his personality, he often calls out: “Hey! Hey!” while dancing. He wants to make people laugh and happy as well as grab much attention from others. Donner is also a kind friend who quickly understand how others feel and tries to do his best to help out.
8. Blitzen: Fast as Lightning
The reindeer who can runs between the lines is Blitzen. Blitzen means “Fast as Lightning” which shows his speed of 135 mph. He loves running and tends to stay busy. He is a laid-back reindeer who quickly knows what’s happening and he tries his best to make things better.
Although Blitzen quickly understand others’ feelings and is always ready to give them a hand if they need, he is still considered as a naughty one. Sometimes, he does things that get him in trouble or says inappropriate things but it doesn’t last very long. He is soon a good friend back.
9. Rudolph: Santa’s Guiding Light
The speed of 140 mph can be reached by Rudolph Reindeer. He is the most trusted one with a red nose and a shiny patch on his forehead. Santa trusts him best! What makes him different from others is his uniquely colored antlers.
Rudolph tends to make others happy, especially Santa and always wants to help. He is known as a hard worker and loves being busy. Sometimes, he is quiet and feels a bit insecure or nervous when being around others. He wants to be a good friend but he worries of doing things what makes others laugh at. Despite a bit worrying, he stills treats others well and help out if they need to assit.
Our Santa’s Reindeer Female or Male?
Gender of Santa’s Reindeer is one of the most questions which people would like to know much. They don’t actually know the answer. This article is going to answer this question: “Is Reindeer of Santa female or male?”
The answer is normally “Both” for any animals and for Reindeers too. Male Reindeers are known as “Bucks” but “Does” are referred to Female Reindeers. Both Does and Bucks have wooly coats, short fur and rounded bodies but Does are larger than Bucks. The colors of them are different – gold, black, blue, green, white or even cherry shades.
However, there is one more answer for this question. Reindeers are often seen with antlers so that’s why two professors from the University of Edinburgh told that Santa’s Reindeers were actually all female and male reindeers shed their antlers in the winter. They explained more that male reindeer used their antlers to fight and compete to mates during the mating season while female reindeers used their antlers to defense against predators and nagivate through the snow.
FAQs
References:
- A Visit from St. Nicholas, https://poets.org/poem/visit-st-nicholas
- Leroy The Redneck Reindeer, https://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/joediffie/leroytheredneckreindeer.html