The Night Before Christmas

This poem first appeared in a newspaper in Troy, New York, USA, on December 23, 1823, as 'A Visit From St. Nicholas'. No one claimed authorship until 13 years later. Clement Clarke Moore, a professor and poet, said that he wrote the piece for his children. Unbeknownst to him, his housekeeper had sent it to the newspaper to be published. However, the family of Henry Livingston Jr. contended that their father had been reciting “A Visit from St. Nicholas” for 15 years prior to publication. Regardless of the true author, the poem is now a Christmas classic.

The Night Before Christmas by Clement Clarke Moore is an absolute classic. Everyone knows the initial part of this tale, though the ending is amazingly written. A bedtime story a father wrote for his children has turned into a world wide story that generations have continued to pass on for years. Moore's words bring the magic of Christmas and Santa to life in a beautifully poetic manner that has stood the test of time. I highly recommend this book to everyone, I think The Night Before Christmas is a book that everybody should read at least once in their lives.