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The following video provides a short history of Santa's \"most famous reindeer of all\". Get the Christmas workbook **** Teachers, check out our holiday lessons *** Follow us on Facebook **** In this video: Almost everyone has heard the...\n
The following video provides a short history of Santa's \"most famous reindeer of all\". Get the Christmas workbook **** Teachers, check out our holiday lessons *** Follow us on Facebook **** In this video: Almost everyone has heard the story of Rudolph, the reindeer with a shiny red nose. But where did this story come from, and how long has it been a part of the Christmas tradition? In 1939, a writer named Robert L. May wrote a story entitled “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” for the Montgomery Ward department store. In its first year of publication, the store sold more than two million copies of the story. The story chronicles the tale of a young reindeer, Rudolph, who was born with an illuminated, red nose. His fellow reindeer mocked him and excluded him from the group until one unusually foggy Christmas Eve. Santa, taking notice of the shiny red nose, asked Rudolph to lead his reindeer team through the fog that night so he could deliver Christmas presents to children. Several years later, a song writer, Johnny Marks, wrote a song based on the overwhelmingly popular children’s story. In 1949, singer Gene Autry recorded the most recognizable version of the song. This song became a #1 hit and, to this day, it remains amongst the most successful songs of all time. In 1964, another important piece to Rudolph’s history was added. Rankin/Bass produced an animated television Christmas special for NBC, featuring Rudolph and several new friends such as Hermey the elf and Yukon Cornelius. This program has been broadcast every December since 1964, making it the longest running holiday special on television. Today, Rudolph has been accepted by most as a part of Santa’s reindeer team (making him the unofficial 9th reindeer). The story is known by children around the world, and the song has been sung by countless performers. The tale has entrenched itself into our hearts and minds, and Rudolph has become one of the defining symbols of the holiday season. Every year, children from around the world sit entranced in front of TV and computer screens as newscasters and websites track Rudolph’s progress as he leads Santa’s sleigh around the globe. For these and many other reasons, the Red-Nosed Reindeer is as popular as ever, making the words of the song truer than they were the first time Gene Autry sang them. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer is certainly “the most famous reindeer of all.” Lyrics: You know Dasher and Dancer And Prancer and Vixen, Comet and Cupid And Donner and Blitzen. But do you recall The most famous reindeer of all? Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer Had a very shiny nose And if you ever saw it You would even say it glows All of the other reindeer Used to laugh and call him names They never let poor Rudolph Join in any reindeer games Then one foggy Christmas Eve Santa came to say Rudolph with your nose so bright Won't you guide my sleigh tonight? Then all the reindeer loved him And they shouted out with glee Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer You'll go down in history!\n
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