In traditional festival legends, Santa's reindeer pull a sled in the night sky to help Santa send presents to children on Christmas Eve. The common names of eight reindeer are: Derek, dancer, carpenter, shrew, comet, Cupid, Donner and Blitzen. They are based on the 1823 poem "the visit of Saint Nicholas" (often referred to as "the night before Christmas"), which can be said to be the basis for the popularity of reindeer.

The long-standing popularity of the Christmas song "Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer" has led Rudolph to join the list frequently, bringing the number of Santa's reindeer to nine.