Reindeer, Lapland, Finland Dec 25, 2025

Few creatures evoke the magic of the holidays quite like the reindeer. Also known as caribou, they are the spirit animals of Christmas lovers—and they rock it. Sturdy and sure-footed, they"ve been pulling Santa"s sleigh ever since Clement Clarke Moore cast them in the role in his 1823 poem "A Visit from Saint Nicholas." And they were born for it. Their hooves shrink in winter to expose a gripping rim, then expand in warmer months for better traction.

© Roberto Moiola/Getty Images

palette

Today in History

Dec 25, 2023Reindeer running in snow
Dec 25, 2024Lakes of Covadonga, Asturias, Spain

More Desktop Wallpapers:

Sep 16, 2025Nighttime view over the Gulf Coast
Apr 16, 2025Kachina Bridge, Natural Bridges National Monument, Utah, United States
May 17, 2024African elephants, Tanzania
Dec 9, 2024Two guanacos, Torres del Paine National Park, Chile
Mar 1, 2025Aurora borealis over Spirit Island on Maligne Lake, Canada
Jan 11, 2026Blue walls of Chefchaouen, Morocco
Apr 14, 2024Bowling Ball Beach, California, USA
May 2, 2025Striated heron on a Victoria water lily, Pantanal, Brazil
Jun 21, 2024Reticulated giraffes
Aug 15, 2025Spotted eagle rays
May 18, 2025Pont St-Pierre across the Garonne River, Toulouse, France
Apr 11, 2025Tulips, Netherlands
Jan 31, 2024Burchells zebras
Dec 25, 2023Reindeer running in snow
Oct 9, 2024Aspens near Marble, Colorado, USA
Feb 19, 2025European river otter
May 9, 2025Common chameleon
May 7, 2025Dunluce Castle, County Antrim, Northern Ireland
Nov 7, 2025Polar bear in Canada
Feb 16, 2025Humpback whale mother and calf
Oct 31, 2024Edinburgh Castle, Scotland, United Kingdom
Feb 9, 2024Pegadung Rock, Lampung, Sumatra, Indonesia
Feb 1, 2024Sassnitz lighthouse, Germany
Jun 10, 2024The city of Osaka at night, Japan
Nov 18, 2025Male hooded merganser
Jul 18, 2024Coral reef in the Indian Ocean, Mayotte, France
Sep 7, 2023Camels in the desert, United Arab Emirates
Jun 20, 2024Kokino, North Macedonia
May 28, 2025Sea otter
Apr 8, 2024European hedgehog