Author Description

A midst so many celebrations this past Christmas Eve, in many places by different people, there was a celebration, in New York, unlike any other. A group of men, women, and children gathered shortly after evening service in their church and stood around the tomb of the author of "The Visitation of Saint Nicholas," reciting the words together of the poem we all know very good and love very dearly. Dr. Clement C. Moore, who wrote the poem, never expected to be remembered. If he wanted to be famous as a writer, he thought it was thanks to the Hebrew dictionary he wrote. He was born in a house near Chelsea Square, New York, in 1781; and he lived there all his life. It was a very big house, with a chimney inside;—just a house to stay in on Christmas Eve. Dr. Moore has a baby. He enjoys writing poetry for them more than writing a Hebrew dictionary. He wrote them a whole book of poetry. One year he wrote this poem, which we often call "It's Christmas Eve", to give to his children as a Christmas present. They read it right after hanging their socks in front of one of the big fireplaces in the house. Then they learned it, and sometimes recited it, just like other children learn and memorize it now. It was printed in a newspaper.