Most of us grew up with the same assumptions about Christmas.
For example, that Santa is real, that he lives in the North Pole, and that his sleigh is pulled by eight strapping flying reindeer (nine if you count Rudolph).
As we get older, some of the Christmas magic is lost. It's all part of growing up. For that reason, you won't be surprised to learn that reindeer can't actually fly.
However, you may be surprised to learn that Santa's hypothetical reindeer also can't actually be male, according to science.
That's right, Santa's reindeer may have male names, but their antlers reveal the very interesting fact that the animals must actually be female, given the time of year on which Christmas falls.
This may all sound silly, because Santa's reindeer don't actually exist, but learning this fun fact about reindeer anatomy could change the way you look at your entire childhood.
We all know the cast of characters: Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner, and Blitzen (and Rudolph).
Their names suggest that the reindeer are males.
However, Twitter user Cat Reynolds shared:
MALE REINDEER LOSE THEIR ANTLERS IN WINTER AND FEMALES DON’T THEREFORE SANTA’S SLEIGH IS ACTUALLY PULLED BY A TEAM OF STRONG, POWERFUL, UNDERRATED WOMEN!!!!! YOU GO, GIRLS!! I SEE YOU!!!
The information was a surprise to almost everyone who read it.
According to Cat, Santa's team would probably look more like these guys.
On the other hand, this is what female reindeer look like during Christmas time.
Reindeer.org explains:
Reindeer are the only type of deer in which both male and female reindeer have antlers. Female reindeer retain their antlers until they give birth to their young in the spring. Keeping their antlers throughout the winter ensures they are able to compete for food while pregnant. Male reindeer shed their antlers each winter.
Both male and female reindeer shed their antlers (and the velvet that encases them), but they do so at different times of year.
Female reindeer lose theirs in the summer, according to the San Diego Zoo.
By all of this logic, Santa's reindeer must be female because male antlers would be shed by the time Christmas comes around.
Antlers may fall off and grow back every year, but that doesn't make them small.
In fact, they grow back larger with each year that passes.
Finding out this fun fact was extremely interesting for a lot of Twitter users.
Why have we not heard this sooner?
Of course, the legend does include one reindeer who must be female, Vixen.
Vixen is also the name of a female fox.
Either way, an entirely female reindeer team means serious girl power.
Did you know that Santa's reindeer must be female?
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