Reindeer food. Very important question.

[TheOddity]

I always just gave Rudolph a carrot when growing up. Now there seems to be a lot of reindeer food (oats and glitter) doing the rounds which is a lovely idea in its own way but I did always like the half chomped carrot. Do you guys combine this old and new tradition or are you 'carrot purists'?

I'm overthinking this aren't I?

[Raxacoricofallapatorius]

The carrot goes on the hearth with a mince pie for whatshisface. The oats you scatter outside before bed. It's to guide them down to the right house. FC pockets the carrot on his way out.

I do worry that people might be putting craft glitter out with the oats. This should be avoided.

[RatOnnaStick]

The oats are for energy, the glitter's to show them the way and the carrot is a snack to munch on the way back up [santa]

[Tigs0609]

It's all about the traditional carrot for me. We always left a mince pie, milk and a carrot.

[RatOnnaStick]

By the time Santa has reached our house he's feeling a little bloated on milk so he appreciates a triple whiskey here.

[MilkTwoSugarsThanks]

Both, although the Reindeer Food was actually muesli with the raisins taken out. Glitter was left behind when they'd finished eating.

DS doesn't believe in Santa and his Reindeer anymore 😢🎄

[InQuiteAChristmasPickle]

We use both. Reindeer food sprinkled on the lawn (or maybe left on a plate on the mat - how the hell do they eat food that's been sprinkled into the grass ) and then a carrot for Rudolph. It's carrots that have the vitamins in to make his nose glow.

[GastonsPomPomWrath]

We do both.

I would probably have kept with the carrot (nibbled for authenticity) but the kids' nursery school sent home reindeer food in their Christmas pack one year and it was adopted from them on.

They sprinkle it outside on the footpath then I have to go out after midnight mass and sweep the bugger up

[TheOddity]

Interesting. Most people seem to be doing both now. Not long now and there will be a reindeer obesity problem.

[RatOnnaStick]

I imagine the fitness regime and calories needed to accomplish a round-the-world trip in one night must be immense. They are surely only replacing what they use?

Santa, OTOH, must suffer from blood sugar issues from all those pies...

[Helenluvsrob]

Santa must be the worlds worst controlled diabetic!

Carrot for Rudolph!

[LibidinousTurkey]

See christmaspickle is the only other person I've ever (theoretically!) met who appreciates how time consuming it is for the reindeer to snarfle about in the grass for the food when they're on such a tight schedule. This is precisely why we put ours on a plate to make the process quicker and so DH doesn't have to get the DustBuster out on the lawn again

[PitBlackwell]

We did reindeer food (oats etc) one Christmas Eve and nothing bloody well ate it overnight. The children were really upset 😯. We haven't done it again.

[liquidrevolution]

I am sticking with carrots. I worry about using glitter outside to be honest. I know in the grand scheme of things a bit of glitter isnt much, but still I am not comfortable with it.

[SoupDragon]

Yes, the problem with reindeer food is that it's still there in the morning. DSs never noticed though, they were too busy with presents. I used to make it with coloured sugar rather than glitter.

[SoupDragon]

I remember throwing it outside with DD and nearly giving the pizza delivery man a faceful of oats. Happy days! I think that was the last time we tried it with DD :)

[vienaa]

Yeah we do both, just if you are doing magic reindeer food, put it on newspaper as one year it was all stuck to the ground, then once the kids are asleep you can pick it up and throw it away.

[snowypenguin]

We do the reindeer food. Ours is eated though or dh goes out and washes it away when he gets the bbq on.

Dh also does footprints in flour from the door to the lounge.

[70isaLimitNotaTarget]

I did it once because I had some edible glitter stars lounging about.

Sugar and food colour shakem in a lidded box to mix, add the oats and glitter and decanted into little bags (made fancy with ribbon)

DD sprinkled hers on the lawn (we had some leftover snow that year)
DS lobbed his in a clump where it sat .