Christmas Animals from Around the World

Christmas Day is now here. As you might have noticed, around this time of year there are plenty of cute animals representing the Christmas spirit in TV shows, films, greeting cards, decorations and so on. These Christmas icons have developed over time based on myths and stories from different cultures. We reindeer are the animals that pull Santa Claus’s sled and guide him all over the world. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer is a fictional reindeer created in 1939 by Robert Lewis May. Aside from reindeer, many other animals are closely connected with Christmas, including partridges and turtle doves which are featured in the song, “The 12 Days of Christmas.” In most Western ecclesiastical traditions, December 25 is considered the First Day of Christmas and ends 12 days later on January 5. In this context, the partridge symbolizes Jesus Christ, a Gift sent by God! Doves are frequently mentioned in the Holy Bible and are symbols of peace, love and loyalty. Britain’s national bird is frequently depicted on festive greeting cards and Christmas gift wrap. This originates from the postman delivering Christmas cards in the 19th century. As a symbol of divine sacrifice, the English robin is also closely related with a legend of Christ’s birth. On the first Christmas, it is said that the night was extremely cold. The Baby Jesus slept happily, thanks to the robin. According to European folklore, roosters were assigned to announce the glorious birth of Jesus to the people. Around midnight, the first rooster cried out in a human voice, “Christ is born!” The second followed, “In Bethlehem!” The final Christmas animal, the Yule goat, is not a real one. In Sweden, the goat was viewed as an invisible spirit that came before Christmas to check that all the preparations for the holiday were finished. Supreme Master Ching Hai is the Santa Claus for Her adorable dogs on Christmas Day! Many kinds of animals worldwide are connected to Christmas, and I can assure you that each species associated with this holy day is quite proud of this distinction!