The History behind 'Twas a Night Before Christmas!

"'Twas the night before Christmas and all through the house not a creature was stirring now even a mouse." These words have been uttered millions of times over the years since the poems inception in 1822. While we have probably all heard the classic Christmas story, many people probably don't know where it came from. The poem was originally created by an Episcopal minister in 1822, named Clement Clark Moore, for this three daughters. While the poems title was changed from the original, "An Account of a Visit from St. Nicholas," it's context and syntax have remained the same. The poem, which describes Santa Clause as a "right jolly old elf" with rosy cheeks, a portly figure, and magical powers, gave the world its first description of Santa Clause. Moore's description of St. Nicholas, helped to popularize the current image of Santa Claus we see today. Due to the poems popularity, Thomas Nast, a political cartoonist, drew a picture of the image Moore's poem created in in 1881 thus forming the modern image of Santa Claus we have today. While Moore's poem did depict St. Nicholas's powers and appearance, it was Nast who gave him his bright red suit with white fur trim, a workshop in the North Pole, elves, and Mrs. Claus. 

Christmas Greeting Cards: How they Got There Start

In the late 1830s and Englishman named Joshn Calcott Horsley helped to popularize the holiday tradition of sending Christmas greeting cards. Horsley would produce small cars featuring festive scenes of the season with a pre-written holiday greeting on them that he would then send out. Due to the recent efficiency of the newly established post offices in the United States and England, they cards because popular overnight. While Horsley was the first to come up with the idea to send Christmas cads, an American card maker, R.H. Pease began following suit in New York shortly after.