Dashing through the snow on our homepage today, reindeer, or caribou as they are known here in North America, have been synonymous with Christmas for two centuries. American writer Clement Clarke Moore is credited with popularizing them as Santa"s helpers in the poem "A Visit from St. Nicholas," first published in 1823. And no wonder Santa picked them. With two layers of fur and eyes that adapt to the Arctic"s shifting light levels, reindeer are very versatile. You likely won"t see them fly, but you might find a herd migrating from tundra to forest in the North Polar Region, North America, Northern Europe, or Siberia. Their hooves can expand or shrink according to ground conditions, keeping their heavy frame stable on soft ground in summer, ice in winter, and steep rooftops at Christmas. If you"re celebrating Christmas today, we wish you a merry one.
Merry Christmas!
Today in History
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Mekong River Delta, Long An, Vietnam
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Whitehaven Beach, Whitsunday Island, Australia
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Rapa Valley in Sarek National Park, Sweden
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Once upon a time there was a bridge…
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America s Playground by Derrick Adams
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Women s suffrage at 100
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SantaPark, Lapland, Finland
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Giant kelp in the Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary
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World Octopus Day
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Come out of your shell for World Turtle Day
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Abbey Gardens in Bury St Edmunds, England
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Get the bear facts
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Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve
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Travel Sunday: Liverpool
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You re feeling sleepy
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A Great view from above
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Avatar Mountains, Zhangjiajie National Forest Park, China
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Rethymno, Crete, Greece
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Crown Fountain by Jume Plensa at Millennium Park in Chicago
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Presidents hear the echo of history
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Bridge to infinity
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A bohemian feline
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Happy Independence Day!
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Ruins of St. Dwynwens Church, Ynys Llanddwyn, Wales
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Does it swim in slow motion too?
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In Sicily, history is everywhere
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It s truffle season here in the Dordogne Valley
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Its Halfway Day!
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Everglades National Park turns 75
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Here we honor the women who ve served