The annual Christmas is coming again. What wishes have you made this year? What kind of Christmas gifts are you looking forward to receiving? Perhaps Santa Claus is on his way from the far north with his reindeer and a load of presents. So the question is, why is it a reindeer that pulls a car for Santa Claus, not other animals? Let’s find out.
Origin:
Santa Claus comes from European folklore. It is said that he has nine different reindeer to pull his sleigh and deliver Christmas presents to people. (There are different stories about Santa Claus.) In the west, deer is a symbol of auspiciousness, mystery, and wisdom, and has a docile character. Relatively speaking, deer is stronger and more approachable. It is easier to be welcomed and loved by children, and also more in line with the mysterious color of myths.
Competence at work:
Reindeer are mainly distributed in the Northern Hemisphere around the Arctic, including Eurasia, northern North America, and some large islands. They have strong and powerful bodies, complex branching long horns and wide hooves are the “big” deer. They have strong limbs, so they can run very fast, even in the snow and rough roads can still steady progress. Reindeer make an amazing move. Every spring, they make a massive migration hundreds of kilometers long, leaving their wintering grounds and heading north on routes they’ve followed for years. Along the way, they shed their thick “winter clothes” for their thin “summer ones”, and the replacement fluff becomes their guidepost. This shows that they are already used to long-distance walking, which proves that they have abundant physical strength, which is the most basic requirement of a “charioteer”.
Adaptive capacity:
Studies have found that reindeer in the Arctic are adapted to the highest levels of ultraviolet light, so they have UV vision, unlike any other animal in their environment. Not only can they see ultraviolet light, but they can also use this ability to find food and keep themselves safe. So the reindeer’s special vision makes it safer to survive in the snow and ice and makes it easier to navigate.
In most people’s current perception, Santa Claus lives in an extremely cold and snowy place, which, for all factors, makes reindeer a more suitable role for Santa Claus.