'Santa's reindeer were first named in "A Visit from St. Nicholas" (better known by its first line, "Twas the Night Before Christmas") in 1823. In the original printing, the final two reindeers' names are Dunder and Blixem, which are Dutch for "thunder and lightning." In an 1844 printing by Clement Clarke Moore, who is credited as being the author, these names are changed to Donder and Blitzen.
(This figures into a debate over whether Moore really wrote the poem in question.)
The 1949 song "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" calls them Donner and Blitzen, which are German for "thunder and lightning." This is how they're most widely known today.'
And now for some reindeer facts and fun-
11 Things You Might Not Know About Reindeer
(could being able to see ultraviolet light help in guiding Santa's sleigh?
Science still can't explain how they can fly, though...maybe they secretly have retractable winged hooves?)
Rudolph, and Santa's 27 Other Reindeer
(We left Santa cooked/chilled Shrimp and a beer, how rednecked is that!
Mom said he got enough milk and cookies and needed something more sustaining. Truth. *sigh*)
And ohs noes say it isn't so!
Reindeer Sometimes Eat Meat
Yep, 'fraid so.....
North Pole's Reindeer Population Plummets
The in breeding could explain the reindeer in the above video....
And here's a joke-
'There once was a Tsar in Russia named Rudolph the Great. He was looking out the window one day and said to his wife, "Look honey. It's raining."
She glanced and responded, "I don't think so, dear, I think it's snowing."
After looking more closely, Rudolph replied ‘No, it’s definitely rain, and Rudolph the Red knows rain, deer!’ :)
And this-
"How come you never hear anything about the 10th reindeer 'Olive'?
Olive?
Yeah, you know, "Olive the other reindeer used to laugh and call him names..."
(Yes, I know why. Rudolph couldn't take it any longer and Olive became steaks, and if you visited/read the above articles, Rudolph’s name means “famous wolf” in German!)