We’ve sung the Christmas carols and heard the hymns. From Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer to 12 Days of Christmas, Christmas animals take the spotlight. This Holiday season, we don’t only remember the angels or the stars or the snow that falls but also the Christmas animals that remind us of the season we are celebrating. Who knows, they might make a good Holiday pet.
Here are the 5 most popular Christmas animals.
Reindeer
Reindeers are a Christmas icon and are known to pull Santa’s sleigh as he delivers gifts. The most famous reindeer, Rudolph, was created when department store employee Robert L. May was asked to create a Christmas story to increase marketing.
Goat
The Yule Goat is especially common in Sweden and other Scandinavian countries. This is a décor of a goat made of straw and relates to the last harvest (since the last sheath of grain from the harvest is believed to have magical properties). The Yule Goat has also been regarded as a spirit that visits households to make sure the Yule preparations are underway.
- Partridge
Being the first gift in 12 Days of Christmas, the gifts in the song is commonly believed to be given by a true love. However, the partridge in the pear tree actually represents Jesus Christ, and all the gifts in the song have a religious connotation.
- Donkey
Though they may not seem like much, donkeys are sometimes seen as sacred because it was a donkey that was said to have carried Mary from Nazareth to Bethlehem on Christmas Eve. Donkeys are also commonly depicted in the nativity scene showing the birth of Christ.
- Robin
In Victorian times, the postmen wore bright red coats and were given the nickname ‘robins’. Thus, robins became associated with Christmas as they are usually depicted on Christmas cards as carrying cards in their beaks.
Read the full article here for more Cute animals that represent Christmas.