REWIND: A CHRISTMAS MYSTERY

SmartHERNews

We first published this interview in 2023 ~ celebrating 200 years of this popular poem's first, mysterious, appearance. We thought in this busy news year, you might appreciate some more insight on this holiday legend!

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"Twas the night before Christmas, and all through the house ..." These lines first appeared in a New York state newspaper on December 23, 1823. The author? Originally ... "Anonymous."

200 years later, many of us can still recite much of this poem from memory, solidifying the image of Santa and "his eight tiny reindeer" for generations.

While the mystery over who precisely penned this famous Christmas poem swirled for years, the impact of the lyrical writing remains undeniable. Historian and author Pamela Mccoll spent ten years researching the poem's origins and global impact, documenting her findings in her book, "Twas the Night: The Art and History of the Classic Christmas Poem." Pam joins us to share incredible insight about the curious origins of the poem (including the party-filled streets of New York City) and why she believes it has such incredible lasting power.

A link to the poem: https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/43171/a-visit-from-st-nicholas

A link to Pamela's book in the SmartHER Amazon storefront: Twas the Night: The Art and History of the Classic Christmas Poem

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