Night before Christmas

'Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.

Most of us are familiar with A Visit from Saint Nicholas, the famous poem that was written in 1822 by Clement Clarke Moore. Moore's poem, which also is known as The Night Before Christmas, made Santa Claus and his reindeer famous throughout the world. Moore was a professor of Oriental and Greek literature, Divinity and Biblical Learning at the General Theological Seminary of the Episcopol Church in Manhattan. It is reported that he was embarrassed that his scholarly publications were overshadowed by his acclaimed poem about St. Nicholas.

Countless artists have illustrated the classic poem, including Tomie De Paola, children's artist and author, who modeled his folksy illustrations after New England quilt patterns and his impressions of a no-nonsense New Hamshire family.

Jan Brett's version depicts a lavish Victorian home. Santa's elaborate sleigh is pulled by playful reindeer, while a pair of stowaway elves are busy creating mischief.

The Cajun Night Before Christmas, by Trosclair, is set in a Louisiana bayou, and the poem is re-told in a Cajun dialect.

There's even a Librarian's Night Before Christmas, by David R. Davis, that shows Santa arriving in a flying bookmobile!

And don't forget the closing lines of the poem:

Happy Christmas to all. And to all a good night.

posted by jtb