A visit from St. Nicholas

by Clement Clarke Moore

"A Visit from St. Nicholas" by Clement Clarke Moore is a poem first published anonymously in 1823. On Christmas Eve, a father witnesses Santa Claus arriving by sleigh with eight reindeer, descending through the chimney to deliver presents and fill stockings. This beloved work transformed American Christmas traditions and shaped modern conceptions of Santa Claus. Though Moore claimed authorship in 1837, some scholars suggest Henry Livingston Jr. may have written it, sparking an enduring literary controversy about its true origins.