'‘Twas the Night before Christmas', also known as 'A Visit from St Nicholas' was written in 1822 by Clement Clarke Moore and was originally written for his family (supposedly on Christmas Eve, but this may have just been part of a marketing strategy from the publishers). It was first published in the Troy (New York) Sentinel on 23rd December 1823. From that date onwards it has been published in many magazines, newspapers, books, and anthologies, as well as being used as the basis for films, radio and television programmes.
The poem was first printed as a book in 1837. The poem paints a perfect, romantic image of the ideal family Christmas, from the stereotypical picture of the family on Christmas Eve to the make-believe image of St. Nicholas landing his sleigh on the roof of the house and slipping down the chimney, and the reading of this poem on Christmas Eve is a tradition in families all over the world. It takes the reader into the realms of fantasy and at the same time it gives child readers something exciting to believe in, because of course most children are taught to believe in Father Christmas from a very young age.
This poem historically appears to be the first mention of St. Nicholas actually having a sleigh and reindeer, which seems to be almost unbelievable in today’s society with all of the Christmas merchandise sold with a picture of a sleigh or reindeer on them. Even the description of St. Nicholas as a plump man with ‘cheeks like roses’ (line 38), a smile, a wobbly belly, and a bag full of toys on his back has been carried forward through history to give the present day conception of Santa Claus / Father Christmas / St. Nicholas which adorns millions of Christmas cards every year. The reindeer’s names are also still used in today’s society in Christmas songs and pub quiz type general knowledge questions. The reindeer that are known as Donder and Blitzen (which are German words) can be translated into the English words Thunder and Lightning, however even in English versions of the poem they are still called either Donder and Blitzen, or Donna and Blitzen to keep the rhyme scheme in place with Blitzen rhyming with Vixen.
Go here to read Twas the Night before Christmas : o )
The poem was first printed as a book in 1837. The poem paints a perfect, romantic image of the ideal family Christmas, from the stereotypical picture of the family on Christmas Eve to the make-believe image of St. Nicholas landing his sleigh on the roof of the house and slipping down the chimney, and the reading of this poem on Christmas Eve is a tradition in families all over the world. It takes the reader into the realms of fantasy and at the same time it gives child readers something exciting to believe in, because of course most children are taught to believe in Father Christmas from a very young age.
This poem historically appears to be the first mention of St. Nicholas actually having a sleigh and reindeer, which seems to be almost unbelievable in today’s society with all of the Christmas merchandise sold with a picture of a sleigh or reindeer on them. Even the description of St. Nicholas as a plump man with ‘cheeks like roses’ (line 38), a smile, a wobbly belly, and a bag full of toys on his back has been carried forward through history to give the present day conception of Santa Claus / Father Christmas / St. Nicholas which adorns millions of Christmas cards every year. The reindeer’s names are also still used in today’s society in Christmas songs and pub quiz type general knowledge questions. The reindeer that are known as Donder and Blitzen (which are German words) can be translated into the English words Thunder and Lightning, however even in English versions of the poem they are still called either Donder and Blitzen, or Donna and Blitzen to keep the rhyme scheme in place with Blitzen rhyming with Vixen.
Go here to read Twas the Night before Christmas : o )
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