Who wrote the poem 'Twas The Night Before Christmas'?

Author of "'Twas the Night..."

The poem "A Visit from St. Nicholas", also known as "The Night Before Christmas" from its first line, and first published in 1823, is largely responsible for the contemporary American conception of Santa Claus, including his appearance, the night he visits, his method of transportation, the number and names of his reindeer, and that he brings toys to children. Prior to the poem, American ideas about St. Nicholas and other Christmastide visitors varied considerably.

The poem was first published anonymously in the Troy, New York Sentinel on December 23, 1823, and was reprinted frequently thereafter with no name attached. Authorship was later attributed to Clement Clarke Moore and the poem was included in an anthology of his works, but his connection with the verses has been questioned by some. Moore's wife is of Dutch descent, being a descendant of the Van Courtlandt family via her mother. She shares bloodlines with Henry Livingston Jr. and Clement Clarke Moore's family is married into the Livingston family as well. Henry Livingston, a New Yorker with Dutch and Scottish roots, is the chief candidate for authorship if Moore did not write it.

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