20th January: Reindeer Day

Missing Christmas already? Well, for some reason, today is Reindeer Day so here are some facts about reindeer to keep you going.

1. Caribou and reindeer are the same thing. The name reindeer is of Norse origin and means "horned animal", while Caribou derives from French and means "snow shoveler".
2. Reindeer are perfectly adapted to life in very cold climates. The insides of their noses have a large surface area in order to warm cold air before it reaches their lungs; their hooves change in with the seasons - soft in summer, and hard in winter so they don't slip on Snow and ice. Their feet are especially wide, so they act like snowshoes. Their tails are very short so they don't get frostbite.
3. Reindeer are the only species of deer in which females grow antlers as well as males. The males shed their antlers in winter, the females lose theirs in spring - so since Santa's reindeer are generally depicted as having antlers, this would suggest these reindeer are all female, or very young males who haven't started losing their antlers regularly yet.
4. Their favourite food is reindeer moss, a type of Lichen. They are the only mammals which have the enzyme lichenase, which allows them to digest lichen. They also eat the leaves of Willows and Birches, Mushrooms, sedges and grasses, and sometimes, when they're really hungry, small rodents such as lemmings, fish and bird eggs.
5. Reindeer are the only mammals which can see ultraviolet light.
6. Herds of reindeer migrate, following their food supply. Their winter feeding grounds can be as much as 400 miles from the summer ones, and they don't always travel by the most direct route. Some have been found to cover as much as 3,000 miles a year.
7. A reindeer can run at 60–80 km/h (37–50 mph). Even at a day old they can run faster than an Olympic athlete. They can swim, too, so wide rivers are no obstacle to them during their migrations. They can reach speeds of 10 km/h (6 mph) when swimming.
8. Powdered reindeer antlers are said to be an aphrodisiac in parts of Asia.
9. The commonly cited names of Santas's reindeer are Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner and Blitzen (the latter two meaning "thunder and lightning"). These names come from the poem, "The Night Before Christmas". Thanks to Robert L. May, a poet who wrote a verse for a chain of US Department stores in 1939, Rudolph has been added to the list and is usually depicted as the one in front with a red nose. He's often cited as being the son of Donner or Blitzen and Mitzi. Santa’s reindeer are most likely the R.t. platyrhynchus subspecies from the Svalbard islands off of Norway. Why? Because the poem describes them as "tiny" and these reindeer are about half the size of most.
10. Various comics, TV shows and films have added even more reindeer, usually related in some way to the original nine. For example, Rudolph has a brother, Ralph, the Infrared-Nosed Reindeer, whose nose emits infrared radiation, and another brother, Rusty, who can't fly but still helps Santa by being in charge of Air Traffic control. He has a son, too, Robbie, who has special powers, and possibly a sister called Blizzard. Cupid has a son called Arrow, who is Rudolph's rival for winning the heart of a female reindeer called Zoey. Vixen has a daughter called Holly, and Prancer a son called Niko. There's also a giant reindeer called Thrasher, a trainee reindeer called Chet and an antagonist reindeer named Scratcher.

My Christmas Novella!

A Very Variant Christmas

Last year, Jade and Gloria were embroiled in a bitter conflict to win back their throne and their ancestral home. This year, Queen Jade and Princess Gloria want to host the biggest and best Christmas party ever in their palace. They invite all their friends to come and bring guests. Not even the birth of Jade's heir just before Christmas will stop them.

The guest list includes most of Britain's complement of super-powered crime-fighters, their families and friends. What could possibly go wrong?

Gatecrashers, unexpected arrivals, exploding Christmas crackers and a kidnapping, for starters.

Far away in space, the Constellations, a cosmic peacekeeping force, have suffered a tragic loss. They need to recruit a new member to replace their dead colleague. The two top candidates are both at Jade and Gloria's party. The arrival of the recruitment delegation on Christmas Eve is a surprise for everyone; but their visit means one guest now faces a life-changing decision.

Meanwhile, an alliance of the enemies of various guests at the party has infiltrated the palace; they hide in the dungeon, plotting how best to get rid of the crime-fighters and the royal family once and for all. Problem is, they all have their own agendas and differences of opinion on how to achieve their aims.

Not to mention that this year, the ghosts who walk the corridors of the palace on Christmas Eve will be as surprised by the living as the living are by them.

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