Over 60% in Taiwan misgender Santa's reindeer: Education ministry

Taipei, Dec. 25 (CNA) The Ministry of Education (MOE) posed a festive question to the Taiwanese public on Wednesday, Christmas Day, about the gender of Santa Claus's reindeer, with over 60 percent of respondents incorrectly assuming the sleigh-pulling reindeer are male.

In traditional folklore and popular culture, Santa Claus's reindeer are depicted as pulling a sleigh through the night sky to assist the jolly figure deliver gifts to children around the globe on Christmas Eve.

The MOE joined in the festive spirit on Wednesday by asking the public about the gender of the sleigh-pulling reindeer on its official LINE account with over 60 percent of respondents assuming the reindeer are male.

However, the ministry did not disclose the total number of respondents when asked by CNA.

While those who got the answer wrong may have done so due to the misconception that only male reindeer have antlers, the MOE said that female reindeer typically shed their antlers between April and May, whereas male reindeer lose theirs in November or December.

"Therefore, it is inferred that the adult reindeer with antlers pulling Santa's sleigh (on Christmas Eve) are likely female," the MOE said.

The MOE cited information from "Sci-Tech Vista," a popular science website set up by the National Science and Technology Council, which referenced overseas research about the reindeer's gender and noted that while Rudolph -- the leader of the sleigh team -- has a name suggesting a masculine identity, the rest of team are all female.