Miscellaneous

‘Twas the Night Before Christmas

Ashley L. Peterson
Christmas tree topped by the Christmas star
Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

When I was young, my favourite Christmas story was ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas, originally published as the poem A Visit From St. Nicholas by Clement Clarke Moore. It was such a favourite that I managed to memorize it when I was four years old. To this day it’s a story with very positive associations, so I thought I would share it this Christmas Eve day.

'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;
Christmas stocking
Image by PublicDomainPictures from Pixabay

The children were nestled all snug in their beds,
While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads;
And mamma in her ‘kerchief, and I in my cap,
Had just settled down for a long winter’s nap,

When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.
Away to the window I flew like a flash,
Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash.

Moon lighting up snowy scene
Image by cocoparisienne from Pixabay

The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow
Gave the lustre of mid-day to objects below,
When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,
But a miniature sleigh, and eight tiny reindeer,

With a little old driver, so lively and quick,
I knew in a moment it must be St. Nick.
More rapid than eagles his coursers they came,
And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name;

“Now, DASHER! now, DANCER! now, PRANCER and VIXEN!
On, COMET! on CUPID! on, DONNER and BLITZEN!
To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall!
Now dash away! dash away! dash away all!”

reindeer
Image by Jill Wellington from Pixabay

As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly,
When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky,
So up to the house-top the coursers they flew,
With the sleigh full of toys, and St. Nicholas too.

And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof
The prancing and pawing of each little hoof.
As I drew in my hand, and was turning around,
Down the chimney St. Nicholas came with a bound.

Santa on the roof of a house
Image by Annalise Batista from Pixabay

He was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot,
And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot;
A bundle of toys he had flung on his back,
And he looked like a peddler just opening his pack.

His eyes — how they twinkled! his dimples how merry!
His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!
His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow,
And the beard of his chin was as white as the snow;

The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth,
And the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath;
He had a broad face and a little round belly,
That shook, when he laughed like a bowlful of jelly.

Santa Claus
Image by Jill Wellington from Pixabay

He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf,
And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself;
A wink of his eye and a twist of his head,
Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread;

He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,
And filled all the stockings; then turned with a jerk,
And laying his finger aside of his nose,
And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose;

He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle,
And away they all flew like the down of a thistle.
But I heard him exclaim, ere he drove out of sight,
HAPPY CHRISTMAS TO ALL, AND TO ALL A GOOD-NIGHT!

Santa reindeer
Image by Clker-Free-Vector-Images from Pixabay 

Published by Ashley L. Peterson

I'm the author of three books: Psych Meds Made Simple, Making Sense of Psychiatric Diagnosis, and Managing the Depression Puzzle. These are informed by my professional experience as a former pharmacist and mental health nurse, as well as my lived experience of major depressive disorder. My goal with Mental Health @ Home is to fight stigma and provide a safe space for open dialogue to empower others.

29 thoughts on “‘Twas the Night Before Christmas”

  9. Someone commented that they were not familiar with this version, that they had only seen shorter versions – I can’t imagine a shorter version, this is the only one I know. My favorite Christmas “story “was “The Unwise Christmas” by Ralph Bergengren. I just posted it on my blog…

    Reply

Leave a Reply