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Visit St. Nicholas Traditional Story
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"Twas the night before Christmas and all
through the house not a creature was stirring not even a mouse"…The
first sentence of what is probably the most well known 'Santa
story' of all time.
Today it is a generally known fact that the story of Santa Claus
actually derives from the legend of St. Nicholas born during the
third century in Patara, a village in the country we now know
as Turkey. Born of a wealthy family he dedicated his live to Jesus
instruction to 'sell what you own and give the money to the poor'.
St. Nicholas used his inheritance to give to the sick and the
suffering and dedicated his life to serving God. He was made Bishop
of Myra while still young and became known for his generosity,
not only to those in need but to sailors and their ships and especially
his love for children. Bishop Nicholas suffered for his faith
under the Roman Emperor, Diocletian. He was exiled and imprisoned
and after his release became Archbishop of Myra and attended the
Council of Nicaea in AD 325. He died December 6, AD 343 in Myra.
The first Europeans who came to the 'New World' we now call the
United States of America brought the tradition of St. Nicholas
with them. During the American Revolution the patriots formed
'the Sons of St. Nicholas as a non-British symbol to counter the
English St. George societies. After the Revolution, John Pintard
founded the New York Historical Society (in 1804) which promoted
St. Nicholas as patron saint of both the historical society and
the city of New York.
In 1809, as a member of the society, author Washington Irving
published a satirical fiction Knickerbocker's History of New York,
in which made numerous references were made to a jolly St. Nicholas
character using an elfin Dutch burgher with a clay pipe instead
of the saintly bishop. Washington Irving is better known for his
American Classics, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow and Rip
Van Winkle but the stage was set. Many began to picture the
blessed bishop as a roly-poly, jolly sort of character.
December 6, 1810 John Pintard commissioned Alexander Anderson
to create the first American image of St. Nicholas. He was pictured
giving children treats in their stockings that were hung from
a fireplace chimney.
In the early 1800s, there were several published poems about Santa
Claus, including The Spectator in 1815. The Children's Friend
in 1821 was a small, sixteen-page booklet appeared, titled A New
Year's Present for the Little Ones from Five to Twelve, Part III.
In it was the first picture of Santa Claus in a sleigh drawn by
a reindeer
Then, on Dec. 23, 1823 "A Visit from St. Nicholas"
better known in modern times as "The Night Before Christmas"
was published in the Troy (New York) Sentinel on December 23,
1823, without attribution. It was reprinted numerous times over
the next few years but the author, Dr. Clement Clarke Moore
did not want his name to be associated with the popular poem until
1844 when he included it in a volume of his poetry.
Despite Moore's objections, 'A Visit from St. Nicholas'
was printed in the 1837 New York Book of Poetry without listing
not Moore as author but a Troy Budget reprinting acknowledged
Moore as author in 1838.
The original manuscript of 'A Visit from St. Nicholas'
by Dr. Moore was lost but he produced other long-hand versions
and those signed copies were sold for $255,500 at a Christie's
auction in 1994.
It is not known where Dr. Moore derived his version of the 'jolly
old elf'. His descriptions likened to those of the Dutch Santa
Claus but he gathered elements of the European lore and characters
as well as a likening to the Washington Irving character. Dr.
Moore's version expanded Santa's mode of transportation from a
single reindeer to a team of eight to which he also gave names.
His description is the one most often referred to today. "He
had a broad face, and a little round belly, that shook, when he
laughed, like a bowl full of jelly." It should be noted that
Dr. Moore's reindeer originally named 'Donder' was changed to
'Donner' when Robert L. penned his children's book, "Rudolph,
the Red-Nosed Reindeer" in 1939.
It is said Dr. Moore wrote 'A Visit from Saint Nicholas'
in 1822 to read to his six children on Christmas Eve and it might
have remained a private creation if Miss Harriet Butler of Troy,
New York had not sent a copy of it to a newspaper editor…without
permission of Dr. Moore.
At one time there was some controversy that Dr. Moore did not
author the poem but over the years that has been largely rejected
and Dr. Moore remains accredited for the delightful creation nearly
a century after it was first published.
Over the years there have been many adaptations and parodies
provided for the poem 'A Visit from St. Nicholas' from
Garfield, to the Muppets to Sesame Street to National Lampoon's
Christmas Vacation to the Nightmare Before Christmas to unending
references to the beloved poem in almost every avenue that includes
Christmas.
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