16
December
2015
|
11:00 AM
America/New_York

9 Things You Didn’t Know About Santa’s Reindeer

Now, Dasher! now, Dancer! now, Prancer and Vixen!

On, Comet! on, Cupid! on, Donder and Blitzen!

To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall!

Now dash away! dash away! dash away all!

 

Of course, you can’t forget Rudolph! Hersheypark Christmas Candylane is home to Santa’s Nine Live Reindeer preparing for the big day. We wanted to share tidbits you might not know about Sant’s reindeer from the caretakers at Candylane:

  • The tendons in their feet make a snapping sound that they use in the wild to keep in line, but it’s also were “Up on the roof- top, click, click, click” originates.

 

  • The animals lose their antlers every year, which is what makes them deer. (Antlers verses Horns)

 

  • Baby reindeer can grow small spike antlers just 2 months after they are born.

 

  • The reindeer have two coats of fur. The bottom layer is like lamb’s wool and it twists around the upper coat, which is long and coarse. Wind and water cannot penetrate it.

 

  • They also have fur on their noses, lips, and under their hooves on the pad.

 

  • The name is Donder not Donner! Santa was speaking Dutch when he named them. Donder means Thunder and Blitzen means Lightning. Which are also the names of our dueling coaster cars on Lightning Racer!

 

  • Santa puts “Thunder and Lightning” at the back of the herd to keep the rest of the reindeer moving faster.

 

  • Rudolph is a grown up now and Santa taught him how to turn his nose off. That is why you won't always see his nose lit up in Christmas Candylane. But he always turns it on for Santa and always on Christmas Eve.

 

  • Santa feeds them a special food on Christmas Eve that makes them fly. It is called “Magic Dust.” The Reindeer Keepers are not allowed to feed the herd Magic Dust or there’d be flying reindeer all over Hershey!

 

Stop by and visit the reindeer at Hersheypark Christmas Candylane. For more information, visit www.hersheypark.com.