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The Poem That Saved Christmas (well, almost): Of all the classic Christmas readings, this poem probably has the most colorful history. We know when it was first published, but there is some controversy about who actually wrote it in the first place. That said, the poem reshaped our nation's view of St.Nicholas, and even helped the celebration of Christmas, at a time when the holiday had been drifting into neglect and even disrepute.
By the time that the Troy Sentinel first published this poem anonymously in 1823, Christmas celebrations were in some decline. In some circles, year-end parties had become so raucous that Christmas was no longer really a "family" holiday. In other, more religous circles, some wanted to wipe out, not only the raucous year-end celebrations, but also Christmas itself, which was "guilty by association." Even poor St. Nicholas was not the cheerful, red-robed, chubby soul that we imagine today - rather he often dressed in brown or green, was relatively slender, and was as likely to dole out punishment as gifts. The poem's clever verse and fresh view of "St. Nick" were well-received. "A Visit from St. Nicholas" was republished anonymously several more times before 1937, when it was first published under the name of Clement Clarke Moore, a well-known clergyman. In the meantime, another prominent family, the Livingstons had always understood that their father and grandfather, Major Henry Livingstone had written the poem. After learning that Moore had claimed credit for the poem, several generations of Livingston's heirs tried to "set the record straight." In recent years, they have drawn at least one well-known expert to their side. Still, most current publications follow the tradition of giving Clement C. Moore credit for the work. On the other hand, there is no controversy about the success of the poem. Many believe that the poem eventually changed the way Americans thought about St. Nicholas, and even about Christmas. From the first publication, the poem's refreshing approach, cheerful imagery, and memorable lines caught the imagination of young and old. Within a generation, the American public's image of "St.Nick" had begun to evolve toward something like the plump, reindeer-driving, red-gowned, universally cheerful icon we know as Santa Claus. And Christmas had begun to be something more like the family-oriented holiday we think of today. The poem is still fresh; except for references to shutters and other things we don't use so much anymore, "A Visit from St. Nicholas" could have been written in our lifetimes, instead of nearly two centuries ago. In fact, Dr. Suess used the same rythm in much of his poetry, including "How the Grinch Stole Christmas." Even the authorship controversy has generated some very positive "side effects." During their many hours of research, the Livingstone heirs have studied just about every version of the poem that was published between 1823 and 1917, adding to a wealth of knowledge on related subjects. And they've published many pages of beautiful illustrations on their family web site. Read aloud, and enjoy! A Visit From St. Nicholas
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