Reindeer, Lapland, Finland Dec. 23, 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

Ive got a lot of problems with you penguins!
Dec. 23, 2023Festivus
Dec. 23, 2024Celebrating Festivus

More Desktop Wallpapers:

Oct. 8, 2024World Octopus Day
Dec. 16, 2023Guild houses of Grand-Place, Brussels, Belgium
Nov. 8, 2025Bandon Beach in Bandon, Oregon, United States
Sep. 11, 2023French River, Ontario
Bryce Canyon hoodoos in winter
An old bridge in a new light
Fourth rock from the sun
Dec. 24, 2025Christmas Eve
Festival fever
When ice imitates art
Nov. 16, 2024Wadden Sea coast, Friesland, Netherlands
Apr. 16, 2024Union Square, Manhattan, New York, USA
Oct. 7, 2025Fall colours below Mount Sneffels near Ridgway, Colorado, United States
Jun. 17, 2025Maritime forest in Cumberland Island National Seashore, Georgia, United States
Jan. 7, 2025Moeraki Boulders, South Island, New Zealand
Dec. 12, 2025Capilano Suspension Bridge Park, Vancouver, British Columbia
Feb. 3, 2026Emerald Bay and Fannette Island, Lake Tahoe, California, United States
Sep. 10, 2025Hay bales in North Yorkshire, England
Hovering over harmonious horticulture
The Riviera of India
May 15, 2025Palace of Westminster, London, England
Oct. 19, 2024International Archaeology Day
Apr. 26, 2026Pink apple blossoms, Avila Beach, California, United States
May 6, 2024The Roaches ridge in the Peak District, England
Nov. 1, 2023Kenny Lake, Lake Superior Provincial Park
An endless stretch of sky
Oct. 17, 2025Jasper Dark Sky Festival
Singing the blues
Dec. 9, 2023Los Glaciares National Park, Patagonia, Argentina
May 9, 2024Misool, Raja Ampat Islands, Indonesia