| "Twas the night before Christmas, when all | | | | starts. The poem is so popular that we have |
| through the house | | | | different versions of it. Joyce Luke wrote " Twas |
| Not a creature stirring, not even a mouse. | | | | the week before Christmas and all through the |
| The stockings were hung by the chimney with | | | | school/ not a pupil was silent, no matter what rule. |
| care, | | | | "Just like Moore's poem this one also ends with |
| In hopes that St.Nicholas soon would be there"... | | | | "As she looked at the Christmas tree glistening |
| The more we read it the more we love the lines. | | | | and tall, / she smiled as she whispered, "Merry |
| An evening in winter...children...the elders by the | | | | Christmas to All." Moore's poem has been widely |
| fire side...one of them is reading out "Twas the | | | | used for parodies. The parodied version for the |
| night before Christmas..." or "A visit from St. | | | | gamblers goes like this- |
| Nicholas" by Clement Clark Moore...This evening is | | | | "Twas the night before Christmas, I hit the |
| the evening before Christmas. One can hear the | | | | casino, |
| giggles of the children outside...the shopkeepers | | | | I went there to play, more than just Keno." |
| are too busy to meet their demands...the world | | | | It can have another version for love craft- |
| never appears as beautiful as it is today. | | | | "Twas the night before Yuletide and all through |
| Everybody seems innocent in the land of Christ. | | | | the hole |
| It is a very popular tradition of American families | | | | Not a creature was stirring, not even a Dhole." |
| to read the poem by Clement Moore on every | | | | People nowadays decorate their tables according |
| Christmas Eve. This is the poem from where we | | | | to the details given on Christmas and Santa in the |
| get a refined picture of Christmas and Santa | | | | poem. The table should give the impression of a |
| Claus. Moore changed the image of Santa Claus. | | | | snowy landscape. White sheet is spread out on |
| Prior to the publication of the poem St. Nicholas | | | | the table and thus we have snow at the center |
| was conceived as a lanky, stern Bishop who | | | | of it where Santa and reindeer will be placed. |
| championed the cause of dispensing both gifts and | | | | Christmas candies are sprinkled on the table to |
| discipline. The poem portrays Nicholas as a | | | | make it more realistic. It seems Moore's lines |
| cheerful, rosy-cheeked elf who gives out gifts to | | | | have shaped both the ideas and activities |
| the children. Christmas came to be known as the | | | | concerning Christmas. |
| occasion of exchanging gifts. | | | | The night before Christmas is the day of setting |
| Santa turned out to be the loving persona. The | | | | up the Christmas tree, participating in the |
| research on this issue reveals that Santa laughs | | | | candlelight service early in the evening, attending |
| "ho ho ho" unlike what the people actually do. He | | | | Midnight Mass and enjoying the turkey or ham. |
| has got "a little round belly/ that shook when he | | | | Children will wait for their gifts even if the Puritans |
| laugh'd, like a bowlful of jelly". Santa was never | | | | frown on the materialistic aspect of the event. |
| associated with reindeer in the past. Clement | | | | While reading out the poem everybody thanks |
| Moore changed the traditional notions in such a | | | | Moore for giving the hope of receiving gifts and |
| way that now it is difficult to distinguish between | | | | meeting the jolly secular Santa. |
| the original and the revised version. We not only | | | | Decorations done...the dinner was also |
| believe in reindeer but also memorize their names- | | | | wonderful...it's time to say "good night"...but on |
| Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, | | | | 24th December we love to end our day with the |
| Donner, and Blitz en. | | | | last line of the poem "Twas the night before |
| Thus we get from the poem a new image of | | | | Christmas", |
| Santa, a whole lot of names of reindeer and the | | | | "Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good- night! |
| mood of the event a day before the actual one | | | | |