Video: Why does Rudolph have a red nose? The story of Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer dates back to a fictional book about the reindeer that pull Santa's sleigh written in 1939. Since then Rudolph has featured in hundreds of stories, songs, television programmes and films about Christmas. However, scientists at Lund University in Sweden, who have been using thermal imaging cameras to study the physiology of animals, have found that the folklore about Rudolph's red nose may actually be based on fact. This helps to keep their noses warm and sensitive as they rummage through the snow for food beneath. The extra blood flow can even give their noses and lips a red flush that is visible to our own eyes.