About the Poem

About the Poem

In 1823, clergyman Clement Clarke Moore, from upstate New York, captured the imagination of the entire nation with his delightful, rhymed description of red-suited Santa Claus and his reindeer-drawn sleigh. This newly illustrated Christmas book series introduces a “mouse” character, great for toddlers, playing off the reference that “not even a mouse” would stir on the magical night before children’s favorite holiday. Author Sally Marie Veillette was inspired to create this book in multiple languages, with bilingual paperback and ebook versions, to share Moore’s magic with kids around the world.

History of the Poem

The poem was first published, anonymously, in The Troy Sentinel newspaper on December 23, 1823. Legend has it that a friend of Clement Clarke Moore sent the poem to the paper’s editor, not Moore himself. Moore was said to have written the poem for his children. Moore hid behind anonymity until 1837. Why would he do this? To keep the magic of Santa as the focus? Or to protect his reputation as an academic? Maybe he wanted to be like Santa himself, bringing gifts to all, but secretly.

To learn more about Clement Clarke Moore, visit our About the Authors page.

’Twas the Night – The Art and History of the Classic Christmas Poem, by Pamela McColl, is the first cultural history to be published of the highly-celebrated poem. Over two hundred images are presented in the book, carefully chosen from the thousands of editions published over the years. This book is a celebration of the poem’s brilliance and its enduring popularity.

Read Pam's Book

History of the Poem

The poem was first published, anonymously, in The Troy Sentinel newspaper on December 23, 1823. Legend has it that a friend of Clement Clarke Moore sent the poem to the paper’s editor, not Moore himself. Moore was said to have written the poem for his children. Moore hid behind anonymity until 1837. Why would he do this? To keep the magic of Santa as the focus? Or to protect his reputation as an academic? Maybe he wanted to be like Santa himself, bringing gifts to all, but secretly.

To learn more about Clement Clarke Moore, visit our About the Authors page.

’Twas the Night – The Art and History of the Classic Christmas Poem, by Pamela McColl, is the first cultural history to be published of the highly-celebrated poem. Over two hundred images are presented in the book, carefully chosen from the thousands of editions published over the years. This book is a celebration of the poem’s brilliance and its enduring popularity.

Read Pam's Book

Naming the Reindeer

Moore’s imagination put Santa Claus in a bright red suit, leading a reindeer-drawn sleigh to bring his gifts to the world. He also gave these reindeer names: “Now, Dasher! Now, Dancer! Now, Prancer and Vixen! On, Comet! On Cupid! On, Donner and Blitzen!” Translating these names into other languages is a fun part of our job.

You may notice that Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer, is not mentioned in this poem. This is because Rudolph came to life in 1939, by Robert L. May, who created the character for a Christmas coloring book that Chicago-based Montgomery Ward wanted to give away as a holiday promotion. They say that while May was pondering his task, he stared out over a thick fog from Lake Michigan. This inspired him to give Rudolph a “bright red nose” that would “shine as a spotlight.”

Upstate New York

Upstate New York must have Christmas magic in the air! It was the place where this poem was first published, as well as the region where a little girl named Virginia O’Hanlon spent time (and is now buried). Eight-year-old Virginia was made famous in 1897, by writing to the editor of the New York-based newspaper, The Sun, asking him: “Is there a Santa Claus?” “Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus,” was his welcomed response.

Upstate New York

Upstate New York must have Christmas magic in the air! It was the place where this poem was first published, as well as the region where a little girl named Virginia O’Hanlon spent time (and is now buried). Eight-year-old Virginia was made famous in 1897, by writing to the editor of the New York-based newspaper, The Sun, asking him: “Is there a Santa Claus?” “Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus,” was his welcomed response.