The Origins of Santa’s Sleigh and Reindeer

The Origins of Santa’s Sleigh and Reindeer

’Twas the night before Christmas, and 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.

Without a doubt, Christmas is the most widely celebrated Christian holiday in the West, and Clement C. Moore’s poem, “A Visit from St. Nicholas,” is its most recognizable anthem. The description of Santa Claus flying through the night sky in a sleigh drawn by eight reindeer is fantastic, unforgettable, and now seemingly timeless.

The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow Gave a luster of midday to objects below, When, what to my wondering eyes should appear, But a miniature sleigh and eight tiny reindeer...

But where did this otherworldly imagery come from? How did a bishop from modern-day Turkey end up driving a sleigh of Arctic animals?

From Saint to Sinterklaas

Most people would be surprised to learn that for the first thousand years of Christian history, the birth of Christ was not the primary celebration of the liturgical calendar; that honor belonged to Easter. However, as noted in historical records regarding St. Francis of Assisi, the modern focus on the Nativity began around 1223 in Greccio, Italy, when Francis staged the first living Nativity scene to make the story accessible to the public.

Around this same time, the legend of Saint Nicholas, the Bishop of Myra (born c. 270 A.D. in what is now Turkey), was spreading across Europe. Known as the protector of children and sailors, he became the most popular saint of the Renaissance. His feast day, December 6, was marked by gift-giving.

In the Netherlands and Belgium, this figure evolved into Sinterklaas. Tradition held that Sinterklaas arrived not from the North Pole, but from Spain, traveling by steamship. Once ashore, he rode a white horse (later named Amerigo or Ozosnel in Dutch lore) over the rooftops to drop gifts down chimneys.

  • Fact Check: While the 1850 book Saint Nicholas and His Servant by Jan Schenkman codified many of these Dutch traditions (like the steamboat and the horse on the roof), the imagery of the saint on a horse dates back much further in oral tradition, influencing the American version before Schenkman's book was even published.

The American Transformation: From Wagon to Sleigh

The leap from a horse-riding bishop to a sleigh-driving elf happened in New York, a melting pot of Dutch heritage and new American imagination.

1. Washington Irving’s Wagon (1812)

The first step toward the sleigh came from American author Washington Irving. In his 1812 revision of A History of New York, Irving satirized the local Dutch culture but also provided the first image of St. Nicholas flying. He described the saint as "riding over the tops of the trees, in that self-same wagon wherein he brings his yearly presents to children." Note: A wagon, not a sleigh; and no reindeer yet.

2. The Missing Link: "Old Santeclaus" (1821)

The bridge between the wagon and the reindeer is found in a rare 1821 booklet titled The Children's Friend, published by William Gilley in New York. It contained an anonymous poem often referred to as "Old Santeclaus with Much Delight."

This poem is historically critical for two reasons:

  1. It is the first known written reference to reindeer in association with Santa.

  2. It depicts a single reindeer pulling the sleigh.

Old Santeclaus with much delight His reindeer drives this frosty night. O’er chimneytops, and tracks of snow, To bring his yearly gifts to you.

This obscure publication set the stage for the legend we know today.

Clement C. Moore Sets the Tradition in Stone (1823)

The following year, on December 23, 1823, the Troy Sentinel published the poem that would define Christmas forever. In "A Visit from St. Nicholas" (popularly known as 'Twas the Night Before Christmas), Clement C. Moore took the single reindeer from 1821 and multiplied it by eight, giving them names and personalities.

Moore’s original names for the final two reindeer were "Dunder and Blixem"—Dutch for "Thunder and Lightning." Over time, through various reprints and German influence, these evolved into "Donner and Blitzen."

Why Reindeer? Why did these American writers choose reindeer?

  • Northern Mysticism: Reindeer were viewed as mysterious creatures of the remote, snowy North (Lapland/Sápmi), fitting for a winter spirit.

  • Norse Mythology: Folklore historians often point to Odin, the Norse god (the original "Father Christmas" figure in Germanic paganism), who rode an eight-legged horse named Sleipnir across the sky. It is possible that the eight reindeer are a distant echo of Odin's eight-legged steed.

Visualizing the Legend: Thomas Nast

While Moore gave us the words, the political cartoonist Thomas Nast gave us the pictures. Beginning in 1863 and culminating in his famous 1881 Harper's Weekly illustration "Merry Old Santa Claus," Nast solidified the image of a rotund, jolly Santa, the North Pole workshop, and the team of reindeer waiting outside.

The Ninth Reindeer: Rudolph (1939)

For over a century, the team remained at eight. It wasn't until 1939 that Robert L. May, a copywriter for the Montgomery Ward department store, created Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer as a promotional coloring book giveaway. The story of the underdog reindeer was an instant hit, selling 2.4 million copies in its first year.

Santa’s Sleigh in the Modern Era

"Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus." — Francis Pharcellus Church

Today, the tradition continues to evolve with technology. We no longer just look at the sky; we look at our screens. Since 1955, the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) has tracked Santa’s sleigh on Christmas Eve. What started as a wrong number printed in a Sears advertisement (which rang the red phone at the Continental Air Defense Command) has become a global phenomenon, with millions checking the "Santa Tracker" every year.

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