Twas the Night before Christmas

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   'Twas the Night before Christmas 

'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 arose such a clatter,
I sprang from the 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 the lustre of mid-day to objects below.
When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,
But a miniature sleigh, and eight tinny 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, on Donner 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 the 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.

He was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot,
And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot.
A bundle of Toys he had flung on his back,
And he looked like a peddler, just opening his pack.

His eyes-how they twinkled! his dimples how merry!
His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!
His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow,
And the beard of his chin was as white as the snow.

The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth,
And the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath.
He had a broad face and a little round belly,
That shook when he laughed, like a bowlful of jelly!

He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf,
And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself!
A wink of his eye and a twist of his head,
Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread.

He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,
And filled all the stockings, then turned with a jerk.
And laying his finger aside of his nose,
And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose!

He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle,
And away they all flew like the down of a thistle.
But I heard him exclaim, ‘ere he drove out of sight,
"Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good-night!"

~ Clement Clarke Moore

(Here's a version especially for the Floridians.)

Twas a Florida Christmas

T'was the night before Christmas and all through the town,

no noses were frozen, no snow fluttered down,

no children in flannels were tucked into bed,

they all wore shorty pajamas instead.

To find wreaths of holly, t'was not very hard,

for holly trees grew in every back yard.

In front of the houses, Dads and Moms were

adorning the bushes and coconut palms.

The sleeping kiddies were dreaming in glee,

hoping to find water skis under the tree.

They all knew that Santa was well on his way,

in a Mercedes-Benz, instead of a sleigh.

And soon he arrived and started to work,

he hadn't a second to linger or shirk.

He whizzed up the highways and zoomed up the road,

in a S-L 300, delivering his loads.

The tropical moon gave the city a glow,

and lighted the way for old Santa below.

As he jumped from the auto he gave a wee chuckle,

he was dressed in Bermudas with an Ivy league buckle,

There weren't any chimneys, but that caused no gloom,

for Santa came in through the Florida room.

He stopped at each house....stayed only a minute,

emptying his sack of stuff that was in it.

Before he departed, he treated himself

to a glass of papaya juice upon the shelf.

He turned with a jerk and bounced to the car,

remembering he still had to go very far.

He shifted the gears and stepped on the gas

and up Highway 436 he went like a flash.

And I heard him exclaim as he went on his way,

"MERRY CHRISTMAS Y'ALL, I WISH I COULD STAY!"

~ Anonymous

Track Santa here :D

Don't forget to leave porridge in the hayloft for the elves and cookies near the fireplace for Santa  ;)

Merry Christmas,