18 Reindeer Quotes about the Hooved Creatures of the North

Reindeers, under the deer family, live in the arctic, subarctic, tundra, boreal, and mountainous regions and often migrate to warmer areas during winter. Their name is derived from the Old Norse word "hreinin," which means "horned animal." If you're from North America, you name the creature caribou, which came from the French word for "snow shoveler," alluding to their habit of digging through the snow to locate food. 

Reindeer have been a famous symbol in both popular culture and folklore for centuries. They are usually associated with Santa Claus during the Christmas holiday season. And so, we have prepared a collection of reindeer quotes below that captures these majestic creatures' symbolism and current status. 

Related: You might also like our selection of Christmas quotes and guide to a zero waste Christmas for more seasonal inspiration.  

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Best Reindeer Quotes

Reindeer are a species of deer adapted to live in cold climates. They are closely related to moose, elk, and other deer but can be distinguished by their larger size, thick fur coats, and the shape of their antlers.

Reindeers have sharp and pointy antlers, often identified by their stocky, thick necks. In comparison, moose and elk antlers are much larger and more curved. In addition, unlike other deer species, only the reindeer grow antlers for both males and females.

Here are the best reindeer quotes you can read to start the list.

"Do not examine the reindeer given by the rich man lest you find it to be without horns."
- Finnish Proverbs

"Rudolph, the red-nosed reindeer, had a very shiny nose. And if you ever saw him, you would even say it glows."
- Johnny Marks

"Santa knows Physics: Of all colors, Red Light penetrates fog best. That's why Benny the Blue-nosed reindeer never got the gig."
- Neil DeGrasse Tyson

Insightful Quotes About Reindeers In Nature

Since reindeer live most of their lives in snow, they are well-equipped to survive harsh weather. They have a thick double layer of fur to insulate them from the cold and a thick layer of fat to keep them warm. They also have hooves designed to grip the ice and noses packed with blood vessels to help warm the air they breathe before reaching their lungs.

Let's appreciate these magnificent creatures more after reading the reindeer quotes below. You might like to couple the quotes below with our winter quotes to inspire those chilly feelings reindeer have adapted to live in.

"The evolutionary success of reindeer is due to its exceptional adaptation to cold, its gregarious nature, and its enormous powers of migration."
- Piers Vitebsky

"Since the last Ice age, the reindeer's extraordinary adaptation to cold has sustained human life over vast tracts of the earth's surface, providing meat, fur, and transport."
- Piers Vitebsky

"Double coats keep reindeer warm. Short hairs near the skin trap air and heat."
- Rebecca Pettiford

"Bells tinkle on the lead reindeer while dog on short leashes dive closely alongside through the snow like dolphins beside the boat."
- Piers Vitebsky

"Reindeer teeth are quite small and flat, ideal for grinding up the grass and moss that they most like to eat."
- Rod Green

Noteworthy Reindeer Quotes In Art And Literature

Robert L. May created the popular holiday character Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer in 1939. The story tells of a reindeer bullied due to his glowing red nose. But, in the end, Rudolph is accepted, and Santa agrees to use Rudolph as the guide for his sleigh on Christmas Eve. 

Santa's original reindeer team includes Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner, Blitzen, and of course, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. This reindeer literature, whose initial purpose was a coloring book, is now a well-known character present every Christmas.

Read the following reindeer quotes about Santa's helper from other authors.

"And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name: ‘Now, Dasher! now, Dancer! now Prancer and Vixen! On, Comet! on, Cupid! on, Donner and Blitzen! To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall! Now dash away! dash away! dash away all!"
- Clement Clarke

"Once upon a time, the Reindeer took a running leap and jumped over the Northern Lights. But he jumped too low, and the long fur of his beautiful flowing tail got singed by the rainbow fires of the aurora. To this day the reindeer has no tail to speak of. But he is too busy pulling the Important Sleigh to notice what is lost. And he certainly doesn’t complain. What's your excuse?"
- Vera Nazarian

"I almost laugh at the normally shy Ricky's demanding voice but I'm thinking he wouldn't appreciate it. “Now, Mr. Chief Reindeer.” “Oh, hell.” It's not so amusing when the elf is threatening the second most powerful being in the North Pole."
- Candi Kay, Barry the Lonely Reindeer & His Bashful Elf

Funny Reindeer Puns And Quotes To Brighten Your Day

As a kid, we are all astonished by Santa's flying reindeer delivering gifts worldwide. As we grew old, we discovered it's just fiction, but reindeer are still real! 

And like other animals, climate change has a significant impact on them. By the end of the century, reindeer will lose much of their territory to climate change and experience environmental stress. That conclusion is based on a recent study examining archaeological evidence in southwest France¹, where reindeer went extinct between 10,000 and 130,000 years ago.

This section of reindeer quotes should be light and fun, but we want to end this article with a message: let's protect all animals, including reindeer, from climate change!

"Reindeer are the very twinkling in the eye of the holiday that we call Christmas."
- Vector

"And every mother's child is gonna spy. To see if reindeers really know how to fly?"
- George Strait

"Reindeer are like metaphoric rain for Christmas lore: they soften the heart and give the soul dreams to grow on all year round."
- unknown

"The forecast this Christmas is cloudy with a chance of reindeer."
- Unknown

"Camels are snobbish and sheep, unintelligent; water buffaloes, neurasthenic-- even murderous. Reindeer seem over-serious."
- Marianne Moore

"How do you get into the house? Ring the deer bell!"
- Unknown

"Which reindeer of Santa has got the most horrible manners? Rude-olph."
- Unknown