Reindeer!

Reindeer's are well known at Christmas Time. It's fair to say they're Christmas Icons.

"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!"

The Reindeer is a species of deer native to the Arctic and Subarctic regions. Although wide spread overall, some of its subspecies are rare and at least one has already become extinct.
The Reindeer is easily noticeable with its large antlers, which are typically large in the males, not as large in the females. On average, a male reindeer’s antlers are the second largest of any deer, coming second to the moose. In the Scandinavian populations, older males’ antlers will fall off in December, younger males’ in the spring and female’s fall off in the summer. Throughout the populations the size and colors vary, with females generally growing up to 205cm in length and weighing up to 120, males are typically larger and can measure as long as 214cm and weighing 182kgs, though some exceptionally large males have been known to reach a very large 318kgs.

They are an ancient creature and can be traced back to long before the 19^th century, but today we just like to think of them as Santa’s mode of transport and enjoy them throughout December. Santa’s reindeer were first named in the poem ‘A visit from St.Nicholas’ in 1823. Back then they were known as Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Coment, Cupid, Duner and Blixem. Not too long after Dunder was changed to Donder (Thunder in German), which today is known as Donna. Blixem was then changed to Bliksem, then later Blitxen, which is German for lighting. Rudolph wasn’t added to the family until 1939.
According to a British comedy panel, they believe all Santa’s reindeer must be female, as the male’s lose their antlers throughout December!