Catching up with SSC upon return from vacation (er, "holiday" for you non-Americans).... Interesting span of response to the US-Centricity of this QOD. Just to fill in the gap, no, reindeer are not a common food source in the US. The reference is to a poem (some may call it doggerel) published a century and a half ago in which the author describes St Nicholas (AKA Santa Claus, Father Christmas, other aliases?) as delivering gifts by means of a flying sleigh drawn by "eight tiny reindeer". Here's a link to a copy of it: http://www.carols.org.uk/twas_the_night_before_christmas.htm