We had our now traditional Christmas Eve Eve Family Gathering yesterday and thoroughly enjoyed the blessings of being together with sons and daughters and spouses and GRANDKIDS!!!!!  The joys of Christmas are magnified when celebrated with family.

And, as usually happens when this clan gathers, memories are made, and stories are created for future Christmas reflections — and funny moments abound.  So much so that this blogger grandfather is given firm instructions —  “This is NOT blog-fodder, DAD!”  That said, there is one story no one said I could not share.

Ha!

Earlier this month, I sent out a list of 15 Christmas-related questions with the intent that sometime during our family get-together, the adults would gather around the outdoor fireplace. Then I, as the Family Patriarch, would share an answer to one of those questions.  With their favorite beverage in hand, everyone else would guess who among them was the author.

The questions varied from their best Christmas gift to their worst, from the one thing they always put in their hot chocolate to the one thing they’d love to have in their stocking.

But one question delivered more laughs than expected, “Who is your favorite reindeer?”

Simple enough question.  As expected, most of us answered “Rudolph.”

One daughter answered all of them with the explanation that, “Hey, they can fly, so all of them are my favorite.”

But another answer drew the most attention. “All the reindeer are my favorite because they are all female!”

Huh?

When asked to explain, my daughter educated us on a little-known fact — all male reindeer lose their antlers before winter. Therefore, Santa’s reindeer, all of whom have antlers, are female.  Right?

Not so fast, Ms. Mistletoe.

I explained to everyone that a Google search had revealed more to the story. There is, in fact, one exception.  Castrated male reindeer will keep their antlers longer.  Therefore Santa’s antler-bearing reindeer could either be female or castrated males.

There was an awkward silence.  

No doubt, everyone was thinking, “Poor Rudolph.”

Until I quickly moved on with, “What’s your favorite Christmas cookie?”

Merry Christmas, Everyone!