‘Twas the night before Christmas, when all thro’ the house,
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse;
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,
In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there;

On 23 December 1823, “A Visit from Saint Nicholas” was anonymously published in the Troy, New York Sentinel. In a preface to the poem, the editors wrote, “We know not to whom we are indebted for the following description of that unwearied patron of children–that homely, but delightful personification of parental kindness–SANTE CLAUS, his costume and his equipage, as he goes about visiting the fire-sides of this happy land, laden with Christmas bounties; but, from whomsoever it may have come, we give thanks for it.”

Clement Clarke Moore is now primarily accepted as the author of the poem. According to the Library of Congress, Moore wrote the poem on 24 December 1822, “While traveling home from Greenwich Village, in Manhattan, where he had bought a turkey to donate to the poor during the holiday season, Moore penned the story for the amusement of his six children, with whom he shared the poem that evening.” In addition to giving delight to his children and later readers, Moore’s poem helped establish a uniform view of Santa Claus.

St. Nicholas (Ἅγιος Νικόλαος), the popular Greek saint, who was the subject of Moore’s poem was born in 270 CE and died on 6 December between 345 and 352. According to the Catholic Encyclopedia, little is known of this popular saint except that he was Bishop of Myra.

Ayurveda offers a holistic approach to improving the overall health of cialis low cost men and can even treat sexual weaknesses efficiently and effectively. When you are looking get viagra cheap, there are a couple of different issues. levitra tablet Most, it causes temporary spasms of the sphincter of Oddi. Only through the use of some medicine one can completely be free from the issue of impotence viagra pfizer pharmacie and also provides strong erection during sexual stimulation. Legend has it that Nicholas would leave coins or other small gifts in the shoes of children. In 1810, John Pintard, founder of the New York Historical Society, hosted a St. Nicholas anniversary dinner. Alexander Anderson’s image of the saint used at the dinner showed a thin Nicholas wearing religious costume as well as children waiting for his visit (AKA Santa Claus).

In part because little is known about the historic Nicholas, his story has been embellished through the years as it was also merged with other traditions. Ted Olson argues that in Germanic countries, the legend of St. Nicholas became merged with the story of Woden (aka Odin) of Norse mythology. But, for many Americans, it is Moore’s poem that defines the image of the Saint who became Santa Claus.

–Steven L. Berg, PhD

Photo Caption: Alexander Anderson’s 1810 wood cut of St. Nicholas.

Although Today in History is primarily student written, there are some days when we do not have a student author. You will enjoy another student entry tomorrow.