A visit from St. Nicholas is a famous poem written by Clement Clarke Moore. It's more known by its first line Twas the Night Before Christmas (It Was the Night Before Christmas) and it's one of the classic tales which became a part of Christmas heritage in a large part of the world.
It was first published in The Troy Sentinel on December 23, 1823, anonymously but later (1844) Clement Clarke Moore included it in his collection of poems titled simply Poems. He later told the media he wrote the song to his children in 1822, but the family of Henry Livingston, Jr. protested Livingston, not Moore actually originally wrote A Visit from St. Nicholas. They never produced any kind of physical evidence, so Moore's claim stayed. A few years ago (already in 21 century a computer analysis of the text with all available works of both poets was done and the computer suggested Livingston is more likely to be the author.
The poem is talking about the visit of St Nicholas who descends the chimneys on Christmas Eve and leaves all kinds of gifts in children's stockings. The poem portrays the St. Nicholas (who was gradually transformed into Santa Claus through pronunciation) as a jolly plump old man with a basket full of toys. This image very much resembles the image of Santa Claus today.
Eight reindeer named Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donder (aka Dunder aka Donner) and Blitzen (aka Blixen aka Blixem) are also Moore's 'invention' which persists in popular culture. First mentioning of reindeer (one) as a Santa's transport dates to 1821, Lyman Frank Baum wrote The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus with ten reindeer in 1901 and Robert L May wrote a story about Rudolph, Red-Nosed Deer in 1939. Rudolph eventually became ninth and the most popular reindeer of Santa's magical vehicle.
While the authorship of the poem is still a bit controversial, nothing stops us to enjoy in the immortal poem, illustrated by numerous prominent artists like William Wallace Denslow, Arthur Rackham, Jessie Willcox Smith, and others.
It was first published in The Troy Sentinel on December 23, 1823, anonymously but later (1844) Clement Clarke Moore included it in his collection of poems titled simply Poems. He later told the media he wrote the song to his children in 1822, but the family of Henry Livingston, Jr. protested Livingston, not Moore actually originally wrote A Visit from St. Nicholas. They never produced any kind of physical evidence, so Moore's claim stayed. A few years ago (already in 21 century a computer analysis of the text with all available works of both poets was done and the computer suggested Livingston is more likely to be the author.
The poem is talking about the visit of St Nicholas who descends the chimneys on Christmas Eve and leaves all kinds of gifts in children's stockings. The poem portrays the St. Nicholas (who was gradually transformed into Santa Claus through pronunciation) as a jolly plump old man with a basket full of toys. This image very much resembles the image of Santa Claus today.
Eight reindeer named Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donder (aka Dunder aka Donner) and Blitzen (aka Blixen aka Blixem) are also Moore's 'invention' which persists in popular culture. First mentioning of reindeer (one) as a Santa's transport dates to 1821, Lyman Frank Baum wrote The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus with ten reindeer in 1901 and Robert L May wrote a story about Rudolph, Red-Nosed Deer in 1939. Rudolph eventually became ninth and the most popular reindeer of Santa's magical vehicle.
While the authorship of the poem is still a bit controversial, nothing stops us to enjoy in the immortal poem, illustrated by numerous prominent artists like William Wallace Denslow, Arthur Rackham, Jessie Willcox Smith, and others.