Rudolph is the reindeer not mentioned in “The Night Before Christmas.” The poem, formally titled “A Visit from St. Nicholas,” names eight reindeer: Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner, and Blitzen.
First published in 1823, the poem helped establish the modern American image of Santa Claus and his flying reindeer. Rudolph was created more than a century later, appearing in Robert L. May’s 1939 promotional story for Montgomery Ward.
Rudolph became even more famous after Johnny Marks wrote the song “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer,” recorded by Gene Autry in 1949. That later popularity led many people to think Rudolph was always part of Santa’s original team.
A common mix-up involves Donner and Blitzen: early versions used spellings such as “Dunder” and “Blixem,” while later editions popularized the familiar German-inspired forms. Rudolph is the only widely recognized member of the modern team who is absent from the original poem.