According to the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, while both male and female reindeer grow antlers in the summer each year, male reindeer drop their antlers at the beginning of winter, usually late November to mid-December.Thanks to Ann.
Female reindeer retain their antlers till after they give birth in the spring. Therefore, according to EVERY historical rendition depicting Santa's reindeer, EVERY single one of them, from Rudolph to Blitzen, had to be a girl.
We should have known... ONLY women would be able to drag a fat man in a red velvet suit all around the world in one night and not get lost.
Sooo, is the above story no more than an urban legend? Here's what About.com has to say:
Analysis: Well, look. If we're really going to let science be our guide in this matter, the first thing we have to admit is that reindeer don't fly, let alone haul a jolly fat elf around in an airborne sleigh. And if we start down that slippery slope, there's only one conclusion we can possibly reach: Santa Claus doesn't exist. That way lies madness.LOL!
It is true that most male reindeer lose their antlers in early December, and the females lose theirs in the spring.
Image from Project Gutenburg. At the link is the complete text with illustrations of the 1862 edition of A Visit From Saint Nicholas by Clement Clark Moore, illustrated by F.O.C. Darley.
Just in case you'd want to know, I was told that I learned to recite the entire poem when I was 3 years old. I don't remember that far back, but I've known the poem ever since I can remember.
