What are the names of Santa’s Reindeer?

Traditionally, Santa’s sleigh is pulled by 8 reindeer, as in the 1823 poem A Visit From St. Nicolas: ‘Now, Dasher! now, Dancer! now Prancer and Vixen! On, Comet! on, Cupid! on, Donner and Blitzen!’

Rudolph was introduced into the pack in 1939 in a famous story of stormy weather and heroism, Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer. A small, young reindeer with a bright, luminous red nose, Rudolph was teased by the others for being different, and they didn’t allow him to join in with all of their fun activities. However, one Christmas Eve, the weather was so foggy that the reindeer kept getting lost and couldn’t give out all of Santa’s presents. Santa spotted Rudolph’s bright nose and asked him to lead the sleigh as a guiding light for all of the others to follow through the blizzard. Rudolph agreed, and Santa managed to give out all of his presents successfully. Christmas Day was saved, and Rudolph returned a hero!

In modern times, Santa is recognised as having 9 reindeers - Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner, Blitzen, and Rudolph.

Rudolph and the rest of the pack are usually busy around Christmastime, but for the chance to meet their friends and go on a magical sleigh ride, have a look at Lapland reindeer rides in Finland.

L. Frank Baum’s 1902 story The Life and Adventure of Santa Claus includes 10 completely different reindeer names - Flossie and Glossie, Racer and Pacer, Fearless and Peerless, Ready and Steady, Feckless and Speckless.

Another common misconception is that there is a 10th reindeer called ‘Olive’, after mishearing the line “All of the other reindeer used to laugh and call him names” in the famous Rudolph song.

This story is detailed in the famous Christmas carol “Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer”

“You know Dasher and Dancer and Prancer and Vixen,
Comet and Cupid and Donner and Blitzen,
But do you recall?
The most famous reindeer of all?

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!”

Read the legendary poem “A Visit from St. Nicholas” which has inspired so much of our knowledge about Santa Claus and his famous reindeer:

“'Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse;
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,
In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there;

The children were nestled all snug in their beds;
While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads;
And mamma in her 'kerchief, and I in my cap,
Had just settled our brains for a long winter's nap,

When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from my bed to see what was the matter.
Away to the window I flew like a flash,
Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash.

The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow,
Gave a lustre of midday to objects below,
When what to my wondering eyes did appear,
But a miniature sleigh and eight tiny rein-deer,

With a little old driver so lively and quick,
I knew in a moment he must be St. Nick.
More rapid than eagles his coursers they came,
And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name:

"Now, Dasher! now, Dancer! now Prancer and Vixen!
On, Comet! on, Cupid! on, Donner and Blitzen!

To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall!
Now dash away! dash away! dash away all!"

As leaves that before the wild hurricane fly,
When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky;
So up to the housetop the coursers they flew
With the sleigh full of toys, and St. Nicholas too—

And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof
The prancing and pawing of each little hoof.
As I drew in my head, and was turning around,
Down the chimney St. Nicholas came with a bound.

He was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot,
And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot;
A bundle of toys he had flung on his back,
And he looked like a pedler just opening his pack.

His eyes—how they twinkled! his dimples, how merry!
His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!
His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow,
And the beard on his chin was as white as the snow;

The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth,
And the smoke, it encircled his head like a wreath;
He had a broad face and a little round belly
That shook when he laughed, like a bowl full of jelly.

He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf,
And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself;
A wink of his eye and a twist of his head
Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread;

He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,
And filled all the stockings; then turned with a jerk,
And laying his finger aside of his nose,
And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose;

He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle,
And away they all flew like the down of a thistle.
But I heard him exclaim, ere he drove out of sight—
“Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good night!”

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