The Heart to Heart Blog

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Is Nothing Sacred

by John - 20:54 on 23 December 2012

The seasonal poem a "Visit from St Nicholas", perhaps better known by its first line "Twas the Night Before Christmas", was first published in 1823 by Clement Clarke Moore.

Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse;
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,
In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there;
The children were nestled all snug in their beds,
While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads;
And mamma in her kerchief, and I in my cap,
Had just settled our brains for a long winter's nap—

When out on the lawn there rose such a clatter,
I sprang from my bed to see what was the matter,
Away to the window I flew like a flash,
Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash.
The moon, on the breast of the new-fallen snow,
Gave a lustre of mid-day to objects below;
When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,
But a miniature sleigh, and eight tiny reindeer,
With a little old driver, so lively and quick,
I knew in a moment it must be St. Nick.
More rapid than eagles his coursers they came,
And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name

"Now, Dasher! now, Dancer! now, Prancer and Vixen!
On! Comet, on! Cupid, on! Dunder and Blitzen—
To the top of the porch, to the top of the wall!
Now, dash away, dash away, dash away all!"
As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly,
When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky,
So, up to the house-top the coursers they flew,
With a sleigh full of toys—and St. Nicholas too.
And then in a twinkling I heard on the roof,
The prancing and pawing of each little hoof.
As I drew in my head, and was turning around,
Down the chimney St. Nicholas came with a bound.

........

The poem has from its first date of publishing enthralled countless generations of children and is arguably one of the best known and loved of Christmas verses.
Our modern interpretation of St Nicholas or Santa Claus can be directly attributed to elements contained within the verses, and in every child’s, and many grown-ups, imagination Santa is the jolly plump figure in a red suit riding on a sleigh pulled by reindeer.

But ...

Not content merely to enjoy the warmth and seasonal goodwill which the poem exudes and has done so since 1823, the modern 21st centuary 'Politically Correct Brigade' have now taken it upon themselves to rewrite the poem.
The new edition will be published in English, French and Spanish, and will be on the bookshelves in time for next Christmas.

Pamela McColl the new 'pc' editor/author said "If this text is to survive another 200 years it needs to modernise and reflect today’s realities.”

How sad.

Source:  The Scotsman

[Ed - Dear Santa, Please preserve us from the politically correct brigade]

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