2012 First-Class Forever Stamp - Contemporary Christmas: Reindeer in Flight

On December 23, 1822, the Troy, New York Sentinel published an anonymous poem that changed the way Americans celebrate Christmas. 

“A Visit from St. Nicholas” introduced families to the “eight tiny reindeer” who pulled Santa’s sleigh.  The driver, “a right jolly old elf,” encouraged them to “dash away” to the rooftops by calling them by name:  “Now, Dasher!  Now, Dancer!  Now, Prancer and Vixen!  On, Comet!  On, Cupid!  On, Donder and Blitzen!”

Dasher, Comet, and Cupid are names that imply swiftness.  A comet can travel at more than 300 miles per second, a speed that would help Santa get to every home in one night, while the Roman god Cupid had wings to fly quickly from one place to another.  Dancer, Prancer, and Vixen add grace and agility to guiding the sleigh. 

Donder and Blitzen were originally named Dunder and Blixem, Dutch words meaning thunder and lightning.  These two reindeer bring power and strength to the team.

Santa’s team of reindeer flew off the pages of the newspaper in 1822 and into the imaginations of generations of children who listen each year for “the prancing and pawing of each little hoof.”