New Releases by Clement Clarke Moore

First published anonymously in 1823, ''Twas The Night Before Christmas' has played a vital role in the tradition of Christmas. The jolly, red-cheeked, gift-bearing Santa Claus that we know (and love) today originates from Clement Clarke Moore's poem. He originally wrote it to share only with his own children on Christmas Eve. This jovial poem is wonderful for all fans of Santa Claus and the presents he delivers, young or old! Clement Clarke Moore (1779-1863) was an American writer, teacher, and poet. A highly religious man, he attended Columbia University and went on to write about a variety of subjects, including poetry, historical biographies, and translations from French. His most notable work was certainly 'A Visit From St Nicholas' which was originally written as a Christmas Eve gift to his children, and quickly gained fame, being known today as 'Twas the Night Before Christmas.'

There are many versions of this classic Christmas poem - this one is the best. This edition includes the original illustrations of influential pioneer Ethel Hays, whose rendition of Santa has defined tradition. A table-length pullout of Saint Nick, sleigh, and reindeer makes this book a perfect Christmas tradition-starter and keepsake.

First published anonymously in a New York Newspaper called the Troy Sentinel on December 23, 1823, under the title "A Visit from St. Nicholas." Clement Clark Moore has long been credited as the author of this beloved yuletide poem, but literary scholar Don Foster now believes that the true writer was in fact a poet of Dutch heritage named Henry Livingston Jr. Livingston had passed away by the time Moore claimed authorship of the poem years later. In 1844, Moore published "A Visit from St. Nicholas" in an anthology of his own poetry, but Livingston's family has always insisted that Moore is not the true author. However, even if Livingston's family had never spoken up, Moore's authorship rings a bit false

This carefully crafted ebook: “Twas the Night before Christmas (Original illustrations by Jessie Willcox Smith)” is formatted for your eReader with a functional and detailed table of contents. The poem, which has been called "arguably the best-known verses ever written by an American", is largely responsible for some of the conceptions of Santa Claus from the mid-nineteenth century to today. Prior to the poem, American ideas about St. Nicholas and other Christmastide visitors varied considerably. On Christmas Eve night, while his wife and children sleep, a man awakens to noises outside his house. Looking out the window, he sees St. Nicholas in an air-borne sleigh pulled by eight reindeer. After landing his sleigh on the roof, the saint enters the house through the chimney, carrying a sack of toys with him. The man watches Nicholas filling the children's Christmas stockings hanging by the fire, and laughs to himself. They share a conspiratorial moment before the saint bounds up the chimney again. As he flies away, Saint Nicholas wishes everyone a "Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good night." Clement Clarke Moore ( 1779 – 1863) was an American Professor of Oriental and Greek Literature, as well as Divinity and Biblical Learning, at the General Theological Seminary of the Protestant Episcopal Church. Located on land donated by the "Bard of Chelsea" himself, the seminary still stands today on Ninth Avenue between 20th and 21st Streets, in an area known as Chelsea Square. Moore's connection with that institution continued for over twenty-five years. He is the author of the yuletide poem "A Visit from St. Nicholas", which later became famous as "'Twas the Night Before Christmas".

Paintings by Grandma Moses illustrate the well-known poem about an important Christmas visitor.

Describes a Christmas Eve visit from St. Nicholas and his eight reindeer.