12/17/2025
In just one week, Santa and his team of reindeer will set off on their journey around the world!
But how much do you really know about reindeer beyond their Christmas Eve adventure?
✨ Reindeer don’t live only at the North Pole. They roam the Arctic tundra and northern forests of Alaska, Canada, Greenland, Scandinavia, and Russia.
✨ In North America, reindeer are known as caribou.
✨ Both male and female reindeer grow antlers each year. The only deer species where this happens.
✨ Rudolph isn’t the only reindeer with a red nose! Reindeer have a special network of blood vessels in their noses that helps warm the air they breathe in cold climates.
✨ Santa isn’t the only one who relies on reindeer-powered transportation. For generations, the Sami people of Northern Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Russia have raised reindeer and used them to pull sleighs.
Reindeer may be the most iconic animals of the holiday season, but they need our support year-round. Climate change, habitat loss, and invasive species pose serious threats to reindeer populations worldwide. So when you leave carrots out for Santa’s reindeer, take a moment to think about their cousins across the globe, and how we can help protect them.
