Editor’s note: This month, the Cool Word Club will focus on the holidays with some oh-so-festive words!

Rudolph is one of the most iconic figures in Christmas lore. We all have vivid images of that red-nosed reindeer leading Santa’s sleigh.

Eight of Santa’s reindeer appeared in the classic Christmas poem ‘‘A Visit From St. Nicholas.” More commonly known as “’Twas the Night Before Christmas,” it was first published in 1823. You can read the poem here: www.poetryfoundation.org/poem/171924

Rudolph was not added to Santa’s famous reindeer team until later. Now, the song and television show named after him are so much a part of American culture that some people forget that reindeer are real animals. But they are!

Reindeer, believed to be the same species (Rangifer tarandus) as caribou, are fascinating animals. Though caribou typically walk slowly, they can run at speeds that exceed 45 mph. Interestingly, caribou are also wayfaring (see definition below) animals, traveling up to 3,000 miles a year.

To read more about reindeer and caribou, go to the National Museum of Natural History’s link: http://www.mnh.si.edu/arctic/html/caribou_reindeer.html

Speak your mind: Can you think of any other wayfaring animals?

WAYFARING: Traveling, especially on foot.