You know Dasher, and Dancer, and Prancer, and Vixen—Comet, and Cupid, and Donner, and Blitzen. But can you recall, the most plausible reindeer of all?
Nope, not Rudolph. We’re talking about the real reindeer. Yes, the extremely real, non-magical, tundra-frolicking reindeer that exist on Planet Earth.
In North America, reindeer are commonly referred to as caribou, and reside in Alaska and Canada, with no populations in the continental U.S. This probably explains why many Twitter folks are just now realizing that reindeer are, in fact, real.
Who thinks they're stupid? Yeah?… I just found out reindeer are real. Pretty sure I'm the stupid one.
— Wiz Keℓℓeyfa (@Hottkoolaid) December 15, 2016
I love having to explain to Milly how reindeers are real but she won't believe me @millywrightx
— millie may (@Millieevans1975) December 3, 2016
This random Twitter search comes courtesy of writer Aaron Cohen in a tweet from nearly half a decade ago.
If you look through this Twitter search, you can see all the people just realizing reindeers are real. http://t.co/iXDCHNhv
— Aaron Cohen (@UnlikelyWords) December 20, 2012
Yes, yes, the plural of reindeer is actually reindeer, though Dictionary.com finds reindeers permissible for the plural.
Though the original tweet is almost four years old to the day, much has remained the same on the topic of “Reindeer: Fact or Fiction?” Another year, another holiday season during which young and old alike learn, or more likely are reminded, that reindeer and elves do not share the property of mythical creature.
reindeer are real?!
— Felix Jean Carlos (@felixjc94) December 19, 2016
https://twitter.com/RusolYasin/status/806903481714044928
@Nbrezinski45 REINDEER ARE REAL pic.twitter.com/l4PiZkhRNk
— Ashlyn Schoof (@schoof_ash) December 18, 2016
I canny get over how reindeers are real, I thought they were a mythical creature
— elena (@nicolelena_) December 6, 2016
Jesse: LOL, reindeers aren't real, I know that.
— Certified Chaotic Dumbass (@deletehanzo) December 5, 2016
Gabe: …. Jesse reindeers are real. They just can't fly.
Jesse: Waht????
https://twitter.com/danielcorrales/status/809480616039153664
I actually can’t get my head around the fact that reindeers are real????
— emily (@3milyxchubs) December 4, 2016
https://twitter.com/queenbrittxo/status/804520076204503040
I still can’t believe reindeers are real;always presumed they were mythical like unicorns or dragons
— Maia Lowerson (@maialowersonx) November 22, 2016
https://twitter.com/lasusannaaa/status/810495398246752256
For the record, this is not an opinion that is up for debate. The reality of reindeer is a cold, hard fact, despite what any Twitter pollsters allege.
https://twitter.com/gchs_journalism/status/809842392266403840
To settle a debate, are reindeers real?
— liv (@livvystuartt) November 27, 2016
Are reindeers real???? @AlecB87DP
— marina (@marinamagsayo) December 4, 2016
https://twitter.com/nurmeanslightt/status/788823650103398400
https://twitter.com/megan_amend98/status/809513339797864452
https://twitter.com/msphinguyen/status/809044865480871936
So we can all jump on the “shook” bandwagon with relative ease, but we have somehow taken years to figure this whole reindeer thing out?
WAIT IM SO SHOOK I JUST FOUND OUT REINDEERS ARE REAL
— egg (@edleensuh) December 13, 2016
OH MY GOD REINDEERS ARE REAL ANIMALS I DIDN'T KNOW THAT I'm shook pic.twitter.com/11rKeVQ0ZL
— becs (@becareimal) December 4, 2016
https://twitter.com/okayhala/status/809909499859333120
Perhaps unexplainable for the amount of technology we have in the second decade of the 21st century, it would appear a handful of these reindeer truthers are young adults.
Out of my 17 years of existence, today I found out that reindeer are real
— elisa (@_elisamorris) December 16, 2016
https://twitter.com/IzzyLee_/status/809806262649110528
How have I gone 19 years without knowing reindeers are real
— gb (@Georger__) December 12, 2016
it's taken Beth 20 years to realise reindeers are real… At least she learnt one thing from uni
— harriet (@harrietm29) December 1, 2016
https://twitter.com/JodieRobson/status/803581522733395968
My twenty year old sister only just realised that reindeers are real creatures
— meg ❤︎ (@redvelvetswift) November 27, 2016
It took me 18 years to realise that reindeers are in fact real and not mythical creatures for Christmas stories like I had believed
— teale (@tealerenee) November 15, 2016
Honestly, this is a simple Google search, folks. In case you’re mistaking the Twitter text entry field for a search engine, here is the link: just click this, I beg of you.
Or please, somebody just build us a Twitter bot that responds to the phrase “are reindeer(s) real,” and tweet us our of our misery, already.
https://twitter.com/bethabson/status/805396938032054272
https://twitter.com/dexthcamp/status/804836593991372800
https://twitter.com/JardynMichelle/status/810316384303452160
are reindeers real animals…
— kiki (@khadija_khatun) November 28, 2016
That’s it—Santa is getting y’all Encyclopedia Britannica online subscriptions for Christmas. Every single last damn one of you.