W
e all know the
popular festive tale
of Rudolph the Red-
Nosed Reindeer and how he and
eight other reindeer pull Santa's
sleigh to deliver gifts to children
on Christmas Eve, but how did
reindeer become part of this story?
The first reference to Santa's
sleigh being pulled by reindeer
appears in an anonymously written
and illustrated children's poem
published in New York in 1821
titled Old Santeclaus with Much
Delight. In 1823, in a poem by
Clement C. Moore titled A Visit
from St. Nicholas, more commonly
known as 'Twas the Night Before
Christmas, eight reindeer were
included and named Dasher,
Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet and
Cupid, with Dunder and Blixem
later becoming known as Donner
and Blitzen. It wasn't until more
than a century later that Rudolph
joined the story in 1939 when he
was included in a verse by Robert
L. May in a book published by
the Montgomery Ward chain of
department stores, that were given
to children who visited the store at
Christmas time.
So why were reindeer chosen
to pull Santa's sleigh? Reindeer
have played and continue to play
an essential role in the way of life
of people living in the northern
hemisphere who raise them for
their meat and milk, their hides
and antlers for making shoes,
clothing, tools and handicrafts
and for transportation. The latter
is likely the reason they were
included in Christmas tales.
The Sami, Northern Europe's
oldest surviving indigenous people,
spanning parts of Norway, Finland,
Sweden and the Kola Peninsula of
Russia, are best known for reindeer
herding. Norway alone is home
to around 200,000 reindeer, with
around 2,600 Sami still making
a living from herding reindeer. A
family typically owns anywhere
from 1,000 to 5,000 animals.
You can meet the Sami on our
In Search of the Northern Lights
ocean voyage in Tromsø and Alta.
Visit a local Sami camp and be
introduced to a local reindeer-
herding family. You will meet their
reindeer, then board an authentic
sleigh for an exhilarating and
picturesque reindeer-drawn sleigh
ride, experiencing how the Sami
previously travelled whilst enjoying
the sound of reindeer bells and
snow crunching under hooves.
After your ride, you will be invited
into a large traditional tent called
a lavvu where, by a roaring log
fire, you will enjoy a traditional
lunch as your hosts entertain you
with stories of Sami traditions and
modern life.
Opposite: The
Svalbard reindeer,
Norway
Above: A Sami
man herding a
group of reindeer
Bergen
NORWAY
Nor th
Sea
Nor wegian
Sea
London (Tilbury)
ENGLAND
Tromsø
Alta
Narvik
–
C r ui s e
••
O ve r night in Po r t
THE NETHERLANDS
Amsterdam (Ijmuiden)
GETTING THERE: The 13-day In Search of
the Northern Lights voyage sails from
London to Bergen, or in reverse.
From $6,995pp in Veranda stateroom
VIEW ITINERARY
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