Merry Christmas! Dec 25, 2023

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.

© Michael Quinton/Minden Pictures

palette

Today in History

Dec 25, 2018Happy holidays!
Dec 25, 2019Merry and bright
Dec 25, 2020Big dreams require a big sleigh
Dec 25, 2021Merry Christmas
Dec 25, 2022Merry Christmas!
Dec 25, 2024Merry Christmas!
Dec 25, 2025Merry Christmas!

More Desktop Wallpapers:

Nov 2, 2018Celebrating Native American Heritage Month
Jan 19, 2022Kluane National Park
May 9, 2024Tulips at Emirgan Park in Istanbul, Türkiye
Sep 15, 2024National Hispanic Heritage Month
Mar 27, 2022World Theatre Day
Jul 10, 2023A field of English lavender
Nov 2, 2024National Bison Day
Mar 27, 2020Pretty in pink, and purple, and red…
Apr 7, 2018The confluence of the Arve and Rhône Rivers
Aug 12, 2023World Elephant Day
Jan 18, 2022Winnie-the-Pooh Day
Aug 20, 2025The citadel in Bonifacio, Southern Corsica, France
Jul 1, 2018Let the games begin
Nov 18, 2020An aviation celebration
Jan 15, 2025Anniversary of the British Museum
Dec 13, 2019Taking the scenic route
Dec 11, 2021Everest s shadow on the Himalayas
Jul 17, 2021Pretty, pretty…butterfly?
Apr 26, 2020Red skies at Ruby Beach
Jun 18, 2025Pollinator Week
Jul 12, 2023Nakupenda Beach Nature Reserve, Zanzibar, Tanzania
Feb 2, 2018Alpine marmots at Hohe Tauern National Park, Austria
Aug 15, 2018Best. Holiday. Ever.
Jun 19, 2018Dancers perform ‘Revelations’
Feb 22, 2024Bathing boxes at Brighton Beach, Australia
Nov 10, 2018The Badlands celebrates a milestone
Aug 10, 2021Smithsonian Secretary Lonnie Bunch on the institution s 175th anniversary
Mar 22, 2022World Water Day
Nov 23, 2022Fibonacci Day
May 5, 2021The birthplace of Cinco de Mayo