Ho, Ho, Hoax-Nay to the Nay-sayers!

Recently, I was sitting and chatting with some of my friends discussing all the ways were going to celebrate the holidays this year. Eventually, the topic of gifts came up, and with it, so did old Kris Kringle and his magical bag of toys. We ended up agreeing that it was much easier to believe in Santa Claus when we were young than it is now. We’ve grown up and none of us expect any reindeers’ hoof beats to wake us up on Christmas Eve anymore.

As I was driving home from our little get together, I realized that it would be ridiculously fan-double-tastic if some scientist decided the whole Saint Nick-Rudolf routine was entirely plausible and within the ever-expanding realm of the possible. So, I did some internet browsing and came across an article published by a professor at a university in North Carolina that stated exactly that!!!

Possible genetic engineering?
photo credit: atomicjeep

I’ll go over a few of his key points. Santa’s reindeer can most certainly fly; they have been genetically engineered with that ability. They also have extraordinary balance and super night vision. Also, they don’t have to tote around toys enough for all the children of the world, Santa uses nanotechnology to make all the toys on site, right under the Christmas tree! And, finally, my favorite, the explanation for Santa’s ability to get to every house all in one night-relativity clouds. He has the knowledge and the skills and he has found a way to create controllable rips in time, allowing him months to deliver packages in what seems, to us, like a blink of an eye.

You have to accept that Santa is slightly more advanced in the the technological field then we are. All of these possibilities have been discussed before in science fiction, and some of them such as nanotechnology are in current use.

Now, take your new-found scientific Santa ammo and use it on someone who stopped believing in Santa Claus a long time ago, but, be nice – because Santa is listening on his sophisticated, technologically advanced antennae.

Happy Holidays!

On the Third Day of HMNS…meet Prancer!

There’s always a lot happening at the Houston Museum of Natural Science – especially during the holiday season. We’ve put together 12 ideas for fabulous family fun for you, which we’re sharing here every day until Christmas Eve. You can also check them all out now at the spiffy new 12 Days of HMNS web site.

The Third Day of HMNS has passed – but you can still meet our reindeer friend Prancer in the video below, and learn about his species in the fabulous facts under the video – as well as help us count down the 357 days until next years’ Snow Flurry!

Santa’s Reindeer Facts:

The name “reindeer” comes from a word meaning “snow-shoveler,” referring to their habit of pawing through the snow for food.

Santa’s reindeer are all female – male reindeer lose their horns every year.

Reindeer love snow so much they prefer to eat it than drink water.

You could also call them “Santa’s Caribou” – reindeer and caribou are the same species.

The impressive antlers sported by reindeer can grow up to an inch per day – making them the fastest growing tissue in the animal kingdom.

Santa got the idea for sleigh-pulling reindeer from the nomadic Saami people of northern Scandinavia – they’ve been using reindeer to pull sleighs there for over 5,000 years. 

Santa’s Reindeer are well-suited for their life at the North Pole – their sense of smell is so good that they can detect food buried three feet under the snow, and their fur is so thick that they can withstand temperatures 80 degrees below zero.

Learn more about The First Day of HMNS - the debut of The Birth of Christianity: A Jewish Story, a new special exhibition and The Second Day of HMNS – a great place to buy fun holiday gifts. And, check back daily – we’ve got 9 more days coming up, with great ideas for family fun this holiday season. You can also check them all out now, at our spiffy new 12 Days of HMNS web site – or watch them roll out here until Christmas Eve.

The Flurry was upon us!

Thousands of Houston children came to HMNS last Saturday to enjoy one of our most popular events of the year: Snow Flurry! Cookie decorating, making snow angels and visiting Santa and his reindeer were the most popular activities of the day.

Mom and Dad had fun, too, signing up for the Ho Ho Harley Davidson Giveaway where they could register to win a Christmas present of their own. 362 days until the 6th annual Snow Flurry – so while you wait, take a look at some amazing photos of the event taken by one of our festive staff members!

Snow covered the HMNS grounds at Snow Flurry.
Holiday crafts were a hit.
Little ones got their photo with Santa!

The holidays are happening at the Houston Museum of Natural Science – check out our 12 Days of HMNS web site to see sneak-peek video of everything happening here this holiday season.

At Snow Flurry: Prancer, the Gossiping Reindeer

Since I’m an insider it’s hard not to share this news…

Prancer is a total gossip! He’s been living at the North Pole as long as he can remember and knows every little detail about everyone there. He knows what designer shoes the head elf is wearing, where Mrs. Claus keeps her most precious pearls, and whether Santa wears boxers or briefs! (Ok, that’s neither here nor there because who wants to know what kind of underwear Santa has on! …Ew!!!)

So here’s the latest gossip… Santa has lost it. He lost the list! He lost the list of which present goes to which kid! It’s a complete disaster (and so far it’s Prancer’s most highly acclaimed gossip article in the North Pole Daily). So it’s time for us to come through for Santa! Seriously, how many times has Santa come through for you?!? Gather up your friends, family, neighbors, the kids at the rec center – come see Santa at Snow Flurry and tell him what you want! My sister Amanda is certainly not going to want the cordless electric drill that her husband requested and my little cousin J.P. won’t want the Barbie his sister is asking for! This is our chance to help Santa straighten out this mess, Houston! Could you really turn down a pair of twinkling eyes and those merry little dimples?? 

Where can you find Santa? He’s going to be at the Museum this Saturday! All day long he will be collecting the wishes of little boys and little girls. Or you can just tell Prancer (he’ll be here, too). He’s a talker. Before you meet her in person at Snow Flurry, get a sneak-peek meet n’ greet with Prancer in the video below (and learn why all of Santa’s reindeer are girls).

See Santa AND Prancer at Snow Flurry! This Saturday, December 6 from 10 am – 4 pm. Seeing Santa is free -but did I mention there will be real snow there, too? 80,000 lbs. of it. Members $3 or non-members $5.
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