Who invented the sleigh and when?
The first written story about the legend of Santa Claus and his
eight reindeer was "A Visit from St. Nicholas," penned by Clement
C. Moore in 1823. The legend is taken from Russian stories of
Father Frost arriving in villages in a sled drawn by reindeer.
The legend also existed in Holland, where children believed St.
Nicholas would ride through the air, checking on children who
misbehaved. The ninth reindeer, Rudolph, did not come along until
1939, in a story by Robert L. May.