No Christmas season was complete for me in the 1970s without watching "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer." Back then, you had one chance per year to see a favorite holiday special; there were no VHSs, DVDs, DVRs, or streaming services. If you missed your favorite television special, you were out of luck until the next year – and you probably cried about it.
Robert L. May (1905-1976) wrote "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" in 1939 for the Montgomery Ward department store as a free promotional book for the Christmas season. May was in a difficult financial situation at the time; he had just lost his wife to cancer and was raising a four-year-old daughter on his own. May found inspiration in Hans Christian Andersen’s (1805-1875) "The Ugly Duckling." He also took inspiration from his own experience as an unpopular child at school. "Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer" turned out to be a smashing success, selling millions of copies. The television special came along in 1964. If you don’t know the story, just listen to the song.
I remember there was a big "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" debate sometime around 2018. Suddenly, people were concerned that the "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" story was politically incorrect because Rudolph’s peers, father, and even Santa Claus himself bullied him.
I see their point. They did bully Rudolph. But because the story ends happily with everyone learning a lesson, I can accept the means to that end. I don’t love it, but I can accept it. At least it ends with Rudolph realizing that his uniqueness is his strength, that he deserves acceptance, that courage and kindness matter, and most importantly, that he is strong. That’s an important life lesson – learning that you are strong.
In Friedrich Nietzsche’s (1844-1900) Twilight of the Idols (1888) he writes, “Was mich nicht umbringt, macht mich stärker.” (What does not kill me makes me stronger.) People have referenced this quote in songs, films, and general day-to-day life for more than 130 years. Some take issue with it, but I find it inspiring, especially when I’m going through a rough patch. In Rudolph’s case, his rough patch included bullying, shunning, and almost being killed by an abominable snowman.
In one way or another, we’ve all faced abominable snowmen in life, and as unpleasant as they are, they do make us stronger. As we approach this 2025-26 holiday season, I hope any abominable snowmen you’re facing right now either go away, change their ways, or face unfortunate dental karma.
The BTPM Classical Blog is presented by the Toronto Symphony Orchestra.
