Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, a stock character in extra-biblical Christmas stories, is younger than you might think. He did not come on the Christmas scene until December 1, 1939 – 75 years ago.
His first appearance was in a children’s colouring book written by Robert May and given away by Montgomery Ward stores in the USA. The illustrator had to fight for him because the store owners were worried that the red nose might be associated with drunkenness.
The story of Rudolph is one of triumph over adversity: Rudolph, who was initially scorned by his fellow-reindeers, was chosen by Santa to haul the sleigh because his nose lit the way on a dark night. The story was so appealing that it spawned a hit song, written by Johnny Marks, brother-in-law of Rudolph’s creator. Gene Autry’s recording of it sold 25 million.
Preachers have found elements of discrimination, epiphany, redemption and mercy in Rudolph’s story. Dutch scientists in 2012 found reindeers do have red noses, or at least a dense network of blood vessels which “help to protect them from freezing during sleigh rides and to regulate the temperature of the reindeer\’s brain – factors essential for flying reindeer pulling a sleigh under extreme temperatures\”.
From Parish Pump
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer turns 75