‘Twas the Night Before Christmas

We all know who wrote “A Visit from St. Nicholas” (aka, “‘Twas the Night Before Christmas”).

Or do we?

The accepted wisdom is that it was the work of Clement Clarke Moore, a professor of Greek and Oriental literature at various Episcopal seminaries in New York.

Yet for decades, there were those who believed it was actually the work of Henry Livingston Jr., a New York surveyor and part-time poet.

The controversy has never been fully resolved, for several reasons:

“ The poem was first published in the Troy, N.Y., Sentinel in 1823 – anonymously.

“ Moore wasn’t credited as the author until 1837.

“ Moore, who wanted to be known for his more serious works, was slow to acknowledge his authorship. He didn’t claim credit until 1844, and only at the urging of his children.

“ It didn’t fit the generally dark tone of Moore’s other poems.

“ It more closely fit the cheerful tone of Livingston’s other poems.

“ Livingston’s family claimed to have the original copy, before it was destroyed in a fire.

Given this generally murky origin, we may never have a definitive answer. However, most scholars now believe that Moore was indeed the author. The evidence on his side is much stronger.

The questions surrounding it can be attributed mainly to the distinguished professor’s reluctance to be remembered strictly as the man who rhymed “little round belly” with “bowlful of jelly.”