Twas the Night Before Christmas

The Night Before Christmas

By Clement Clarke Moore

According to legend this immortal poem A Visit from St. Nicholas or The Night Before Christmas was written by the poet and professor Clement Clarke for his family on Christmas Eve 1822. He never intended that it be published, but a family friend, Miss Harriet Butler, learned of the poem sometime later from Moore's children. She copied it into her album, and submitted it to the editor of the Troy Sentinel where it made its first appearance in print on December 23, 1823.

Soon, the poem began to be reprinted in other newspapers, almanacs and magazines, with the first appearance in a book "The New York Book of Poetry in 1837". It was not until 1844, however, that Moore himself acknowledged authorship in a volume of his poetry entitled "Poems"published at the request of his children. One hundred and eighty years later it is the most-published, most-read, most-memorized and most-collected book in all of Christmas literature. The poem is largely responsible for some of the conceptions of Santa Claus from the mid-nineteenth century to today.

The following poem has been adapted

Twas The Night Before Christmas

‘Twas the night before Christmas, when all through 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:
While we were all nestled snug in our beds,
Bella had visions of treats dancing in her head;
I in my nightie and he in his sweats
Had just settled down for a long winter’s nap.
When out in the living room there rose such a clatter,
I sprang from my bed to see what was the matter.
And what to my wondering eyes should appear
But Bella making a BIG leap
for those stockings that had been hung with such care,
her hopes were high that her stocking had been filled.
Then away to the window she flew like a flash
Hoping for a glimpse of the jolly old elf.
But he had sprang to his sleigh and gave his team but a whistle
And away they all flew like the down of a thistle.
Then we heard him exclaim, as he drove out of sight,

“HAPPY CHRISTMAS TO ALL AND TO BELLA-A GOOD NIGHT."
Cranberry-Orange Mimosas are deliciously sweet and perfect to toast the holiday season

Recipe from lemontreedwelling.com and serves four
Ingredients:

• 1 bottle champagne
• 1 cup orange juice
• ½ cup cranberry juice
• ¼ cup Triple Sec or Orange Liqueur
• garnish fresh frozen cranberries

Directions:
Combine all ingredients; divide equally among champagne glasses.

For an individual drink:

• ¾ cup champagne
• ¼ cup orange juice
• 2 TB. cranberry juice
• 1 TB. Triple Sec or Orange Liqueur
• Garnish fresh frozen cranberries