The Ministry of Education often sends out quiz questions on its official Line account, and to celebrate Christmas Day yesterday, the question was: “Are the reindeer that pull Santa’s sleigh male or female?” — but more than 60 percent of people answered incorrectly.
In the famous Christmas story, Santa rides in a sleigh pulled by reindeer to deliver gifts to children all over the world.
Most people responded that the reindeer were male, which was incorrect, the ministry said.
Photo: CNA
Both male and female reindeer — bulls and cows — grow antlers, which they shed and regrow each year. However, the females lose their antlers around April to May each year, whereas males have no antlers from November to December — and as Santa’s reindeer use their long antlers to help pull the sleigh, they must be female, it said.
The explanation comes from a 2017 article on the Sci-Tech Vista Web site, set up by the National Science and Technology Council, titled “Santa’s sleigh is pulled by girl power,” which referenced international research reports and said that with the exception of Rudolph, whose name leans more masculine, the other reindeer are actually female.
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