Cover of Twas the Night before Christmas

Twas the Night before Christmas

by Clement Clarke Moore

First published
1862
Reading level
Plain English
Price
Free

About the book

"'Twas the Night before Christmas: A Visit from St. Nicholas" by Clement Clarke Moore is a poem first published anonymously in 1823. On Christmas Eve, a father witnesses a magical visitor arrive by sleigh and reindeer, bounding down the chimney to deliver presents and fill stockings. This beloved work transformed American ideas about Santa Claus and Christmas gift-giving, though its authorship sparked controversy between Moore and Henry Livingston Jr. The poem has been called "arguably the best-known verses ever written by an American."

  • Santa Claus
  • Christmas
  • Narrative poetry
  • Children's poetry, American

Updated September 2026. Public domain in the USA. Text and summary from Project Gutenberg eBook #17135. Twas the Night before Christmas on Wikipedia.

More free books by Clement Clarke Moore

About Clement Clarke Moore