The poem “The Night Before Christmas” has become so much a part of Christmas that it’s hard to imagine the holiday without it. Originally published as an “Account of a Visit from St. Nicholas,” it appeared in 1823 in the newspaper, the Troy Sentinel. It has since been reprinted hundreds of times, acted out on stage, and read over the radio and on film and CD. The author, Clement Clark Moore, is said to have written the poem for his children on Christmas Eve, 1822. Our modern image of Santa Claus as a bearded, plump, jolly figure can be traced back to Moore’s famous description of St. Nick: “He had a broad face, and a little round belly, that shook when he laughed, like a bowl full of jelly.“ Gennady Spirin’s classic illustrations convey the magic and rapture of St. Nick’s visit, from the shadows cast by his sleigh and eight reindeer on a snowy, moonlit roof to the twinkling eyes, merry dimples, and rosy cheeks of his friendly face. This book will warm the heart, nurture the spirit, and bring joy to all those who read it at Christmastime. “Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good night!“

Clement Clarke Moore taught Greek and Oriental literature at the General Theological Seminary in New York City. The story goes that after he wrote the poem for his children—he eventually had nine—a relative copied it down and gave it to a friend in Troy, New York, who then sent it to the Troy Sentinel. It was published without Moore being credited as the author. Moore’s name didn’t appear as the poem’s author until 1837, when the work was printed along with some of his other pieces in a book titled The New York Book of Poetry. He died on July 10, 1863. Every December, a wreath is laid on his grave at Trinity Church Cemetery in New York City to commemorate his famous poem.