The Night Before Christmas, sometimes known as 'Twas the Night Before Christmas after its opening line, is a poem initially published anonymously in 1823 and then credited to Clement Clarke Moore, who claimed authorship in 1837. It is usually considered one of the world's best-known poems.
The poem has become a part of American culture through various adaptations including songs, films, and other media. A classic example is the 1939 film starring Bing Crosby and Rosemary Clooney which inspired many subsequent cover versions.
It is unknown who originally wrote the poem or when it was first written. What is known is that it was published anonymously in the New York Evening Mirror on December 24, 1823, just over a month after Christmas Day 1823. The poem was again published in the paper on January 7, 1824, this time with the author's name, Clement Clarke Moore, listed as such by the paper. It is possible that someone else was responsible for writing these lines but identified himself/herself only as "Clement C. Moore."
It is also believed that Christopher Smart (1722-71) wrote some of the words in the poem although this cannot be confirmed. Smart was an English clergyman and poet who served as Librarian at Christ Church, Oxford from 1761 to 1771.
"The Night Before Christmas," originally a modest poem written for his children in 1822 by biblical scholar and lecturer Clement Clarke Moore, is the most well-known and famous holiday poem in American pop culture.
It has been interpreted by many artists through the years, most famously as a piano piece by John Barnes Richards who called it "The Night Before Christmas." The poem has also been attributed to other authors such as Henry Livingston Jr., Edward Lear, and Hilaire Belloc.
In 2001, the Modern Library ranked "The Night Before Christmas" at #2 on its list of the 100 greatest poems of all time.
A Visit from St. Nicholas/Avtori by Clement Clarke Moore Clement Clarke Moore is credited with writing the popular holiday poem, however some suggest Henry Livingston Jr. is the genuine author.
Livingston was an American clergyman and poet who lived from 1723 to 1813. He was born in Connecticut and educated at Yale University where he studied theology. After graduating in 1749, he became a minister in New York City where he remained for the rest of his life. His poems were widely read during the early 19th century and are still included in children's books today.
In addition to writing poetry, Livingston also served as president of Columbia University for a one-year term when Benjamin Rush died before completing his term. During his presidency, he hired John Jay as dean of the College of Physicians and Surgeons which later became known as Columbia University Medical Center.
Livingston was not alone in his house on Huckle Street in New York City; his mother, two sisters, and two brothers lived there with him. It is believed that while visiting his family over Christmas in 1816, Livingston fell in love with Sarah Clemesler, a young widow who had three children of her own. Finally able to marry, he proposed to her by letter and they were married that November.
"Merry Christmas to everybody, and good night!" In 1822, Clement Clarke Moore (1779-1863) composed the poem Twas the Night Before Christmas, often known as "A Visit from St. Nicholas." It is now customary in many American households to recite the poem on Christmas Eve.
Christmas Day was originally called Christ's Mass or Mass of Christ, and it was celebrated throughout most of Europe after the birth of Christ. The word "Christmas" is derived from the Latin term Christmass, which was introduced by the Germanic peoples who adopted Jesus Christ as their king. The original name of the holiday was thus Christ's Mass or Mass of Christ.
In the United States, Christmas has become such an important part of society that even if you are not a Christian, even if you don't celebrate Christmas, you're expected to at least say Merry Christmas whenever asked about your feelings toward this holy day.
Here are more details about when and where Merry Christmas came into use: Merry Christmas first appeared in print in 1822 in the poem Twas the Night Before Christmas by Clement Clarke Moore. Moore wrote the poem while working for the American newspaper Boston Daily Advertiser. The poem was so popular that it has since been included in several collections of poems for children.
"Twas The Night Before Christmas," one of the oldest and most popular Christmas poems ever written, was penned in the early nineteenth century. It first appeared in an edition of Charles L. Webster's New England Poetical Magazine and has been included in many subsequent editions of that magazine and others.
The author of the poem, which goes by the pseudonym "A J Andrews," is believed to be Peter Pindar, a Boston-based poet and clergyman. According to some sources, Pindar may have used some of his own experiences as inspiration for the poem; according to other sources, he may have simply used ideas from other writers' works.
It's not known where or how often the poem was read before it was published. But it's probable that more than one version existed before its publication. One source claims that there were even two different versions of the poem circulating within the same town at the same time!
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Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donder, and Blitzen were invented by Clement Clarke Moore in his poem "Twas the Night Before Christmas" (1823). The poem is a list of 12 gifts that children would have received from their parents on Christmas Eve.
The original spelling of the word "reindeer" was "rendeer." It comes from the Norse words for "without sleep" or "restless," like the deer. To show how popular reindeers are today, there are more than 5,000 people working as reindeer herders around the world!
Many people think that the term "reindeer games" means video games, but it actually refers to activities done by people who work with reindeer. In this case, "reindeer games" means a game played by herders using antlers as weapons.
There are several different stories about how Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donder, and Blitzen came to be named. Some say they were born on Christmas Day; others claim they were found as babies abandoned by their mothers on Christmas Eve. No matter when they were born, they would have been trained by their herders to pull carts loaded with people's luggage at airports and hotels.
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