A Poem Made Modern Santa Claus

Depictions of Santa varied, but that all changed on December 23, 1823, when a newspaper in Troy, New York, published an anonymous poem titled “A Visit From St. Nicholas.” We know that poem as “The Night Before Christmas,” and the author’s description of a red-suited, white-bearded, big-bellied “jolly old elf” still informs our visions of Santa. The poem also introduced his first eight reindeer: Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner, and Blitzen (although the last two are often listed as “Dunder and Blixem” in the original poem — Dutch for “thunder and lightning” and a popular expression among Dutch Americans of the day). Fan favorite Rudolph, meanwhile, didn’t make an appearance until 1939.

Media Release/InterestingFacts.com