When Was Rudolph The Red-nosed Reindeer Written

So, you’re sitting there, humming along to that catchy little tune about a certain glowing-nosed reindeer, and a question pops into your head like a rogue Christmas ornament: When in the name of tinsel was this thing written? You’re not alone. It feels like Rudolph has been dodging fog banks since the dawn of time. But the real story is far stranger—and funnier—than you’d expect.

The Surprising Birth of a Misfit

Believe it or not, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer wasn’t born in a flurry of Christmas magic. He was cooked up in 1939 by a copywriter named Robert L. May, working for the Montgomery Ward department store. Yes, a department store. Santa’s most famous sleigh-mate started as a marketing gimmick to get parents to buy more coloring books. Nothing says “holiday spirit” like a little corporate desperation, right?

The store had been giving away free coloring books for years, but in 1939, they realized they were paying other people to write them. So May, a 34-year-old ad man with a knack for rhyme, was tasked with creating an original character. He wrote the story as a little poem for his own daughter, Barbara, as she sat on his lap. Talk about mixing business with bedtime stories.

The Oddest Inspiration You’ll Ever Hear

Here’s where it gets weird: May admitted that he partly based Rudolph on… himself. He was a shy, skinny kid who got picked on, much like a reindeer with a weird nose. But the real kicker? He also admitted he was inspired by “The Ugly Duckling” and a fart joke from a popular children’s book of the time. Seriously. The original concept for Rudolph’s glow was, apparently, a windy gag that didn’t make the final cut. History, my friends, was shaped by a near-miss with potty humor.

May’s first draft actually featured a female reindeer named Reginald. Why? Because he thought it sounded cute. But his boss convinced him that a male character would sell more merchandise. So, Rudolph was born—a boy who just happened to be cursed with a nose that looked like a high-beam headlight.

From Coloring Book to Cultural Icon

That first year, Montgomery Ward printed and gave away 2.4 million copies of the little booklet. It was a smash hit. But here’s the crazy part: May owned the copyright, not the store. He was a genius or a lucky fool. In 1947, he sold the rights to the story for a pittance because he was desperate for money. The new owner then turned it into the song we all know, written by Johnny Marks (May’s brother-in-law).

Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer Song Lyrics (teacher made)

The song itself came out in 1949, recorded by Gene Autry. It sold over 25 million copies. But the original text? That was pure 1939. So, when you ask “when was Rudolph written?” the answer is: the year World War II started. A story about an outcast reindeer became a global hit while the world was literally on fire. Poetic, isn’t it?

The Bizarre Legacy of a Glowing Nose

You might think Rudolph’s story was always warm and fuzzy, but May’s original ending was surprisingly dark. In the first version, Santa doesn’t even ask Rudolph to guide the sleigh. Instead, the fog clears on its own, and Rudolph is just sad and left out. The publishers made him rewrite it so Santa actually uses the nose. Thank goodness for editorial meddling, or we’d have a holiday anthem about a lonely reindeer with a useless light bulb.

Rudolph almost had a different name, too. May toyed with Rollo and Reginald before settling on the alliterative Rudolph. Can you imagine? “Reginald the Red-Nosed Reindeer” sounds like a stuffy bank manager. The world dodged a bullet.

Free printable lyrics rudolph the red nosed reindeer, Download Free

So, When Exactly?

To put it plainly: the story was written in 1939. The song was written in 1949. The TV special (the stop-motion classic you watch while crying into your eggnog) came out in 1964. That means Rudolph is older than your grandma’s fruitcake recipe. In fact, May’s original draft is now housed in a library at the University of Michigan, preserved under glass like a holy relic.

So next time you hear that song, remember: you’re listening to a 1939 marketing ploy that almost featured a fart joke, a female reindeer, and a sad ending. And yet, it somehow became the most heartwarming tale of overcoming adversity since the Little Engine That Could. That’s the magic of Christmas, folks—or just really good copywriting.

Now go forth and impress your friends at your next holiday party. You can now say, with total confidence, that Rudolph was written before the invention of the ballpoint pen and after the invention of the spork. (Okay, I made that last part up. But it feels true, doesn’t it?)