Each holiday season when Sherry Winters of Greeley hears ” ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas,” she feels a sense of pride.
For Winters, the poem is more than a story about the magic of Christmas. It also has a special tie to her family tree. Winters and her brother, David Moore, and sister, Tina Duryee, are sixth-generation descendants of Clement Clarke Moore, the Episcopal clergyman from New York who wrote the poem, originally called “A Visit From St. Nicholas,” in 1822.
“It’s a part of Christmas,” Winters said.
According to Winters, the legend behind the poem goes something like this: Clement drew his inspiration for St. Nick during a sleigh ride. The driver was a jolly and rather large man, which would serve as the characteristics for the jovial potbellied St. Nick known today. While St. Nick originates from Dutch holiday traditions, the joyful character of a sleigh-riding Santa are thought to have originated from Moore’s poem. Moore wrote the poem as a Christmas gift to share with his nine children. At the time, the family didn’t have money for gifts, but the story has proven itself to last beyond childhood toys. Today it is still popular to share on Christmas Eve.
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