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Merry Christmas from Don "da Pyrate"
"T'was the night before Christmas and all through the house, not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse."
The familiarity and reassuring message of that poem by Clement Clark Moore has warmed the hearts of children and adults for many, many generations. Legend has it that Moore wrote the poem, originally titled "A Visit From St. Nicholas", in 1822, to read to his own family that Christmas Eve. He had no intention of publishing it, but Harriet Butler, a family friend, enjoyed it so much she submitted it to "The Sentinel", a newspaper in Troy, NY. The paper published it on December 23rd, 1823, and in today's vernacular, it went viral. Of course, in those days, viral took a few years, but soon it was known everywhere as the consummate Christmas poem. Over 180 years later, and now commonly known as "The Night Before Christmas", Moore's poem is the most-published, most-read, most-memorized, and most-collected book in all of Christmas literature.
Looking beyond the warm and sweet message of the tale itself, I find something deeper in this poem and it's history.
I like to think that the very way it became as big a part of the worldwide Christian Christmas experience, spreads an important message about the meaning of Christmas itself.
Clement Moore didn't think his little poem was worth paying much attention to, and originally didn't intend to publish it. It was just for his family. But then, the friendship, and good intentions of an acquaintance intervened, and this poet from Upstate NY, became one of the most published poets, of one of the most well known poems ever written.
To me, that is an embodiment of the spirit of this magical season. When people extend a helping hand to their fellow man, amazing things can happen.
I think each of us can learn something important from the back story of "The Night Before Christmas". It's a lesson that's useful not just during the Christmas Season, but all year, every year.
Take a moment when you hear this message, and again every time you can, to look around you. I'm sure you'll see someone or something, that could use your helping hand. When you do that, there's no telling what unforeseen great things can happen. Even if nothing as monumental as "The Night Before Christmas" happens, it will make the world a better place to live, every day of every year.
This is Don Winfield, with The Shore Radio. From my family, and the Shore Radio family, we wish you all a very Merry Christmas, and an extraordinary New Year.
Don Winfield, December 2014
