Christmas Deer

After a valiant struggle, I have finally succumbed to the holiday craziness, and here is my contribution ~ the lighted deer at the Bon Air Shopping Center. I photographed them last night, bravely risking great bodily harm from unsteady ground and speeding traffic. So now I sit here, wondering what the heck deer have to do with Christmas. I quote the best Google explanation I could find ~

 

"A Visit from St. Nicholas" (also known as "The Night Before Christmas" and "T' was the Night Before Christmas" from its first line) is a poem first published anonymously in 1823. It is generally attributed to Clement Clarke Moore, although it has also been claimed that it was written Henry Livingston, Jr. It is largely responsible for the conception of Santa Claus from the mid-nineteenth century to today, including his physical appearance, the night of his visit, his mode of transportation, the number and names of his reindeer, and the tradition that he brings toys to children. Prior to the poem, American ideas about St. Nicholas and other Christmastide visitors varied considerably. The poem has influenced ideas about St. Nicholas and Santa Claus beyond the United States to the rest of the English-speaking world and beyond.