Nagy Family Dental - December 2019

What About Dunder and Blixem?

The Strange History of Santa’s Reindeer

We all know reindeer visit our rooftops every Christmas Eve, but what brings them there? Follow the unique and complicated history of Santa’s reindeer to find out. A VISIT FROM WHO ON WHAT NIGHT? In the 1820s, Clement Clarke Moore penned a holiday poem that became the foundation for a phenomenon still alive today. Commonly known as “‘Twas the Night Before Christmas,” “A Visit From St. Nicholas” is a beloved story shared by every generation. It is in this poem that reindeer were first credited with powering Santa’s sleigh around the globe. Many popular songs, movies, and plays have preserved Moore’s vision of St. Nick, and his reindeer and their names are no exception. (Well, kind of.) Rudolph wouldn’t join the squad until a department store added him as part of their promotions in the 1930s. brought to life by Moore, but have you ever heard of Dunder and Blixem? Though we now know the duo as Donner and Blitzen, Moore originally named them Dunder and Blixem — the Dutch words for thunder and lightning — but publishing companies wanted names that would rhyme better with the rest of the poem. Still, it was a few decades before Donner and Blitzen made their appearances in the version of the poem we know today. REINDEER BURGERS, ANYONE? Moore’s poem paved the way for Santa’s most famous form of transportation, but it was actually Carl Lomen, an Alaskan businessman, who mass-marketed reindeer as Santa’s companions. In the late 1890s, the Sami natives of Northern Europe, who were longtime reindeer herders, made their passage from Norway to the U.S. with a herd of reindeer to invigorate the Alaskan landscape and help their native neighbors. Lomen saw the reindeer as an opportunity and partnered with the Macy’s department store company to create a promotional Christmas parade in which Santa, led by his reindeer, a sleigh, and Sami herders, were prominently featured. Lomen’s goal was to promote his massive reindeer conglomerate for the production and sale of reindeer meat. Instead, a holiday story was born. WHAT’S IN A NAME? Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, and Cupid were all

Our Multitalented Business Team Lead: Sheona Spreadsheet Extraordinaire and Seasoned Christmas Cookie Baker As the business team lead at Nagy Family Dental Group, Sheona oversees many of the key areas that keep our office running, including accounts receivable and insurance. While the number-heavy tasks may not be for everyone, they are just right for Sheona. “My favorite part of my job is insurance,” she says. “I am a nerd, so I enjoy math and spreadsheets.” It’s what’s at the heart of our clinic, though, that truly makes this the perfect place for her. “Dr. Nagy’s vision for the practice and our community is what makes this the right fit,” Sheona says. “Dr. Nagy has invested a lot in training and educating me on leadership, dentistry, sleep disordered breathing, and business growth. I am blessed to work for a doctor who cares so much for his employees.” In talking about her work, Sheona’s compassion for her team and patients shines through. “There is never a dull moment at Nagy Family Dental Group. We are always learning and adding new services and equipment,” Sheona says. “We recently added a new, state-of-the-art cone beam volumetric tomography X-ray unit, digital oral scanner, and laser. Our team puts all hands on deck to learn how to best help our patients achieve optimal oral health.” Outside of work, Sheona enjoys reading and spending time with her husband and their beloved pup, Ophelia. The three of them enjoy going for walks together, and you can tell Ophelia is a very special part of the family. “She is our rescue fur baby, and we would be lost without her,” Sheona says. “I have tried — unsuccessfully — to have her be an office therapy dog so she could come to work with me. Unfortunately, she prefers to be at home sleeping.” Around the holiday season, you’ll find Sheona and her mom whipping up their favorite recipes. “We go all-out and make several kinds of cookies in one weekend. We decorate elaborate sugar cookies and make seven-layer bars,” Sheona says. “We’ve been making Christmas cookies since I was a little girl, and I can’t imagine ever skipping a year.”

For our part, we can’t imagine Nagy Family Dental Group without Sheona. Thank you for all you do to make this a great place to work and visit!

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