As you probably know (which by way of speaking implies that
most of you don't know), Christmas as celebrated in the U.S.
is mostly a New York invention. For one history of Christmas,
see:
http://www.benbest.com/history/xmas.html
(interesting factoid: Christmas was banned in Massachusetts
in 1659-1681 [War on Christmas INDEED!]; certain
Christian sects still don't recognize Christmas for a variety
of reasons, including claiming that it is a pagan sun-worshipping
holiday).
For an abbreviated and somewhat British view, see:
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/this-britain/the-big-question-whats-behind-christmas-traditions-ndash-and-just-how-traditional-are-they-1209965.html
or
http://tinyurl.com/8ykn2a
And another view:
http://www.thehistoryofchristmas.com/ch/in_america.htm
For a more detailed account see Nissenbaum's "The Battle for
Christmas" which is available in "snippet view" on Google books:
http://books.google.com/books?id=QYqzrnM2NH4C&q=%22The+battle+for+Christmas%22&dq=%22The+battle+for+Christmas%22&lr=&pgis=1
or
http://tinyurl.com/a892jg
So, in keeping with a "New York State of Christmas", why
don't we spend some time with one of the classic poems
about Christmas which is, of course, a New York product:
"A Visit From St. Nicholas" ("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 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 Donder 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 look'd 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 bowl full 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 fill'd 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 CLARK MOORE
Then again, with relevance to TiPS, Moore's authorship of the
poem has been disputed as an act of PLAGIARISM!!! See:
http://www.nytimes.com/learning/teachers/lessons/20001027friday.html?searchpv=learning_lessons
or
http://tinyurl.com/7mdhv6
New Yorkers are not unfamiliar with such misdeeds (indeed,
some say the current economic downturn has been orchestrated
by New Yorkers but I digress) but in our defense it can be
said that we are not as bad as, say, Illinois where it is rumored
that the governor says "Merry *BLEEPING* Christmas!!!"
However, plagiarism aside, there have been a number of
variations/parodies of "A Visit from St. Nicholas". See:
http://urbanlegends.about.com/od/historical/a/twas_the_night.htm
Another New York contribution is the following article,
Yes, Virginia, There is a Michael Sylvester, er, Santa Claus
(with some info on Virginia O'Hanlon which makes it TiPS relevant):
http://beebo.org/smackerels/yes-virginia.html
A scan of the original article:
http://www.newseum.org/yesvirginia/clipping.htm
But let us not forget a classic that did not originate in New York,
namely, Charles Dickens "A Christmas Carol".
http://www.literature.org/authors/dickens-charles/christmas-carol/index.html
And even TiPS has made an occasional contribution to Christmas
reading. For those with short memories:
http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/msg15558.html
Merry Christmas to All, Sun-worshipping Pagan or Not!
-Mike Palij
New York University
[email protected]
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