From: T.B.E. Kendrick
Columbus
As the old song from 1934 suggests at this time of year in late December:
“You better watch out / You better not cry
You better not pout / I’m telling you why
Santa Claus is coming to town.”
We all know what to expect when the Jolly Man makes his rounds because of that great little poem entitled: “A Visit from St. Nicholas,” but better known as “’Twas the Night before Christmas,” which on Dec. 23 of this year marks the 200th anniversary of its first publication in the town newspaper in Troy, N.Y.
It seems odd that this bicentennial of its first appearance has largely gone unnoticed. I think it deserves fresh notice. Everyone who is a fan of Christmas should recite it aloud on Christmas Eve.
It’s a poem that you can easily understand — unlike many poems — except for a few words that were better known in 1823. It moves along quickly; it sparkles with rhyme and rhythm; and it tells an immediate story with a happy ending.
The poem strongly influenced the depiction of this unusual man now known as Santa Claus; it also identified eight reindeer for the first time. The idea of an extraordinary person like Santa Claus got its start with a fourth century bishop, Saint Nicholas, who was known for his generosity and concern for children. He also insisted on good discipline, an idea that still hangs on as the naughty or nice list. That was a schtick my parents loosely played on me.
The credited author of the poem is Clement Moore, who let it be published anonymously because he was a serious biblical scholar and did not want to be associated with what he regarded as frivolous stories. His authorship was challenged by the descendents of a Dutch poet who claimed that their father had written the poem. I think the issue remains disputed, but Moore’s name gets put on the paper.
The Dutch had a colony in the New World along the eastern seaboard with a capital (New Amsterdam) on Manhattan Island. They controlled that fairly large area for about half a century in the early to middle 1600s. They left a legacy of stories along the way. Somehow their name for Saint Nicholas, which was “Sint Nikolaas” was shortened to Sinter Klaas, which in turn tumbled into our present-day Santa Claus.
At the Hunt Library in the Carnegie-Mellon University in Pittsburgh there is a collection of the 400 editions of the poem that have been published. The only one missing is the original printing in the Troy newspaper.
On Christmas Eve, I plan to read the poem aloud. Why not you too? And, despite the odds, I’m hoping to hear someone exclaim ‘ere he drives out of sight, “Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!”
