“Twas the Night Before Christmas” has also been known as “A Visit from Saint Nicholas” and “The Night Before Christmas”. The poem was written by Clement Clarke Moore in the early 1800's. and there are many published versions of the story in book form.
This story was said to be the first introduction to the number of names of Santa’s reindeer, and the tradition of Santa (or Saint Nicholas) bringing toys to children at Christmas.
A Well Known Poem
This story is told in poem, and of course the first few lines are well known:
'Twas the night before Christmas
And all through the house,
Not a creature was stirring
Not even a mouse....
What actually happens in the poem is that the setting is Christmas Eve. A man is in his house and his wife and children are sleeping. For some reason he wakes up, and sees Saint Nicholas riding in a sleigh pulled by eight reindeer. The sleigh lands on his roof.
Entering the house through the chimney (of course) he fills up the children’s stockings with toys and gifts. The man watches, they have a brief and knowing exchange of gestures, and then Saint Nicholas flies away in his sleigh, wishing everyone a merry Christmas.
The Traditional Story of Santa Claus
Of course, it is a very simple tale, but it is at the root of every traditional Christmas story about Santa Claus.
The father’s name is not given, although the story is told from his point of view and in the first person.
The description of Santa Claus in this poem is charming. There is so much character given, such as cheeks like roses and a nose like a cherry. He had a stump of a pipe in his mouth, with smoke curling around him. Probably these days to have Santa Claus smoking would not be quite politically correct. However, it suits this character perfectly.
The poem itself was first published anonymously in 1823 and it was not until a year later that it was acknowledged as the work of Clement Clarke Moore.
The Perfect Christmas Tale
Traditional Christmas stories are so enjoyable, and this is just about as perfect as one can get. The fact old Santa Claus is smoking a pipe might raise a few eyebrows, but the children will probably not even notice, they will be so beguiled by the lilt and rhyme and fun of this poem.
“Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good night."
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