The Night Before Christmas
There is a magic to Christmas Eve when you're a kid. There's a story behind that of course...
The Facts Text: The Night Before Christmas Author: Clement Clarke Moore
Genre: Christmas story, Classic Year: 1823
Available: Free Here
The Fiction
Alright so I'm breaking my own rule here with this week's post. Technically this week's short story is a poem as it is written in verse. And this blog is dedicated to short stories writen in prose.. But it is Christmas, and this is a story, whether written in verse or prose, that I remember reading every Christmas Eve when I was a kid and I really wanted to write about it as part of this project so....just this once we're bending the rules a little and calling it a Christmas miracle.
So, The Night Before Christmas, sometimes titled "T'was The Night Before Christmas" or originally "A Visit From Saint Nicholas" is the ultimate classic Christmas story. Written and published in 1823 by Clement Clarke Moore (probably, there's a whole attribution scandal we don't have time to get into) this story started or at least cemented many of our ideas about the Santa Claus mythos in our culture. Our image of Santa as a jolly fat elf who travels on a reindeer drawn sleigh on Christmas Eve and enters houses through chimneys with a sack of toy's are all ideas either created by or at least put together from other sources into one story by Moore. It's fascinating to see almost two hundred years later our image of Santa Claus today being seeded together in this original poem.
One of the most significant parts of the Christmas legend and tradition started because of this poem. In 19th century New York when the Dutch Saint Nicholas was becoming a symbol of holiday celebration there was some hesitance on the part of Americans, especially Protestant's that Santa coming on Christmas Day was untenable because it conflicted with the holiness of Jesus Christ's birth. Moore's story has Santa arrive on Christmas Eve, not Christmas Day, neatly solving this issue. Quickly after this had been established Christmas as a celebration across America began to take off with Santa and the presents he brings firmly arriving on the night before Christmas.
One of the reason's I can justify writing about this story on this blog is that even if it is written in verse, there is a clear narrative, there is a story being told. The Night Before Christmas is told from the perspective of the unnamed father of the house. Awake on the night before Christmas the father describes how he sees Santa Claus and his eight reindeer and the sleigh. He describes Santa's appearance in great detail, and emphasizes how his jolly and good nature meant he knew he shouldn't be afraid of him after he came down the chimney. Santa does his job of delivering the toys, winks at the father and tweaks his nose traveling back up the chimney then flies out into the night.
The Feeling
So what is it about this story that I loved so much as a child, that so many children have loved for nearly 200 year? Loved so much it formed the basis for most of our modern conceptions about Santa Claus?
Well first there are some iconic lines and ideas in the poem. "Visions of sugar plums danced in their heads" is a famous idea. There is something about that description of sweet dreaming that is fantastical and wonderful (I mean these words literally as in full of the fantastic and wonderful) that creates such a great atmosphere and tone for the rest of the story.
I think the general premise works really well in capturing the imagination of Christmas. The narrator is someone who stayed up late on Christmas and caught a glimpse of Santa. Isn't that what every kid wanted and tried to do? There is magic to Christmas Eve when you're a kid, its a special night when time and space bend and miracles are possible. The desire to see that special magic for oneself is the desire of every child. The poem captures the wonder of Christmas Eve and the magic that is possible when you're a kid. I remember when I was young, while obviously Christmas Day is great because you get to open the presents, Christmas Eve is the day that was full off anticipation and wonder and magic. The Night Before Christmas created and continues to capture that special wonder of Christmas Eve when the magic happens in your own home.
I guess all that's left to say is, in those iconic words of Santa himself, "MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL, AND TO ALL A GOOD NIGHT!"
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