Christmas Mountains

{{Short description|Canadian mountain range}}

{{Infobox mountain

| name = Christmas Mountains

| photo = 1986 North Pole Stream.jpg

| photo_caption = North Pole Stream, a tributary to the Little Southwest Miramichi River in north-central New Brunswick, Canada

| elevation_m = 750

| elevation_ref =

| prominence =

| location = Northumberland County, New Brunswick

| range = Appalachian Mountains

| map = New Brunswick

| map_caption = Location in New Brunswick

| coordinates = {{coord|47|10|N|66|40|W|type:mountain_region:CA}}

| topo = NTS {{Canada NTS Map Sheet|21|O|2}}

| first_ascent =

| easiest_route = Hike

}}

The Christmas Mountains are a series of rounded peaks in northern New Brunswick, Canada, at the headwaters of North Pole Stream and the Little Southwest Miramichi River, west of Big Bald Mountain, and south of Mount Carleton. The mountains, in part, separate the Miramichi River watershed from the watersheds of the Serpentine River and the Nepisiguit River.

In 1964, Arthur F. Wightman named the range and peaks after noting that the previously unnamed peaks lay near the source of North Pole Stream, hence this sub-range of the Appalachians has been named after the Christian holiday of Christmas.

The ten peaks are:Precise locations estimated from Google Earth, maximum elevations from [http://atlas.nrcan.gc.ca/site/english/maps/topo/index.html Toporama], Natural Resources Canada

• North Pole Mountain ({{convert|690|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}) ({{coord|47|11|39|N|66|40|00|W|type:landmark_scale:2500|name=North Pole Mountain}})
• Mount St. Nicholas ({{convert|625|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}) ({{coord|47|10|9|N|66|40|24|W|type:landmark_scale:2500|name=Mount St. Nicholas}})
• Mount Dasher ({{convert|750|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}) ({{coord|47|11|48|N|66|44|14|W|type:landmark_scale:2500|name=Mount Dasher}})
• Mount Dancer ({{convert|670|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}) ({{coord|47|09|53|N|66|42|51|W|type:landmark_scale:2500|name=Mount Dancer}})
• Mount Prancer ({{convert|580|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}) ({{coord|47|8|00|N|66|40|56|W|type:landmark_scale:2500|name=Mount Prancer}})
• Mount Vixen ({{convert|650|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}) ({{coord|47|8|15|N|66|43|28|W|type:landmark_scale:2500|name=Mount Vixen}})
• Mount Comet ({{convert|550|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}) ({{coord|47|7|00|N|66|38|36|W|type:landmark_scale:2500|name=Mount Comet}})
• Mount Cupid ({{convert|530|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}) ({{coord|47|9|01|N|66|36|36|W|type:landmark_scale:2500|name=Mount Cupid}})
• Mount Donder ({{convert|730|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}) ({{coord|47|10|47|N|66|36|10|W|type:landmark_scale:2500|name=Mount Donder}})
• Mount Blitzen ({{convert|670|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}) ({{coord|47|10|50|N|66|37|50|W|type:landmark_scale:2500|name=Mount Blitzen}})

The eight latter names commemorate Santa Claus's reindeer as named in the 1823 poem "A Visit from St. Nicholas" by Clement Clarke Moore. The poem reads in part:

With a little old driver so lively and quick,

I knew in a moment it must be St. Nick.

More rapid than eagles, his coursers they came,

And he whistled and shouted and called them by name:

Now Dasher! Now Dancer! Now, Prancer and Vixen!

On, Comet! On, Cupid! On, Donder'Donner' was originally spelt 'Donder', but has changed over time. and Blitzen!

To the top of the porch! To the top of the wall!

Now dash away! Dash away! Dash away all!

Although a ninth reindeer was later added to Santa Claus' team in the popular 1949 Christmas song "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer", no peak was named for Rudolph.Rayburn, A. (1975) Geographical Names of New Brunswick. "Toponymy Study 2". Surveys and Mapping Branch, Energy, Mines and Resources Canada, Ottawa.[http://geonames.nrcan.gc.ca/index_e.php Geographical Names of Canada] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090207222912/http://geonames.nrcan.gc.ca/index_e.php |date=February 7, 2009 }}[http://new-brunswick.net/new-brunswick/names/names1.html New Brunswick "What's in a Name"][http://www.snb.ca/gdam-igec/e/2900e_1a.asp New Brunswick Atlas, Second Edition]