Perhaps it is because Christmas is in the air that animal rights group Viva!, based the UK, have come down hard on Swedish retailer Ikea for stocking reindeer salami across its 17 stores nationwide. Although despite Viva!'s best lobbying efforts, Rudolf is staying on the menu at Ikea, at least for the moment, as they insist that their method of sourcing the meat is more humane than is perceived.

Preference for 'cute' animals?

Reindeer is a choice cut of meat in Scandinavia, where reindeer meatballs and sausages regularly grace the tables of Swedes without the blink of an eyelid. Perhaps the Brits are just too sentimental over 'cute' animals? Justin Kerswell, campaigns manager for Viva!, based in Bristol, drove the point home by saying that it is only baby reindeer that get killed for their meat:

"We are very concerned about the exploitation of wild animals for meat. As well as being chased from the land and air, once they are caught, their misery doesn't end there. In Sweden, some reindeer face a gruelling journey of up to 1,000km to the slaughterhouse where they face anything but a humane end. More than 70 per cent of reindeer slaughtered for meat are calves that have grazed during the summer, which means they never even get to see snow."

He goes on to describe eating reindeer meat as "twisted festive fun" and calls for the furniture giant to remove it from their stores.

Reindeer steak and all the trimmings

Elsewhere in the UK, it appears that not all are as lily-livered as Bristolians, as the Scottish are buying up reindeer meat like never before this year, intent on roasting it for an unusual Christmas dinner. Sales of the meat in Glasgow have risen to the point where some suppliers are struggling to keep up with demand. Kezie Foods ship thier reindeer meat in from Scandinavia and despite costing £14 per steak, they report that 2008 has been their busiest year on record.

Canadians and Alaskans are also up there with the best of the reindeer-eaters. Milan Shipka, an animal researcher from Alaska said: "I have nothing against Santa Claus. I love Christmas. But reindeer meat is healthy and it tastes good, and most people don't think of Santa eating his reindeer when he's done on the 26th."

Reindeer needed for survival

It's easy to poke fun at vegetarian animal rights groups for getting sentimental over the plight of certain fluffy animals, however it is true that reindeer are of great significance to certain tribes of people across the world, who greatly respect the animal for all it can offer. The Turkic-speaking peoples such as the Hovsgol Aimag of Mongolia have herded and domesticated reindeer for thousands of years. The best-known reindeer culture is that of the nomadic Sami peoples of northern Norway, Sweden, Finland and Russia. They began by hunting the wild herds – and discovered the first ski en route! - but then realised that these animals could provide everything from meat, milk, fur and transport, to antlers and bones for knives, and so much more besides.

In Nordic legend, the reindeer also embodies the spiritual power of the north and is said to fly to the “upper worlds” of the shamans. However, this flying is not to be confused with the myth that St Nicholas' reindeer are able to fly. The story of a fur-clad “Santeclaus” driving a sleigh pulled by reindeer was dreamed up by the American writer William Gilley in 1821.

Sadly though, the practice of hunting set out by Viva! is all too true of the New World, where on the American side of the Bering Straits, there are no tame reindeer, only those who are followed by helicopter and degraded by 'modern' herding practices. How progressive.