This Little Golden Book edition of "The Night Before Christmas," which was originally titled "A Visit From Saint Nicholas," when Clement Clarke Moore first published it, in 1823, first appeared in 1949, but was still around a decade or more later, into my childhood. One thing it was instrumental in was defining the American concept of Santa Claus, which is a shortened colloquialism for "Saint Nicholas."
What it did for me, darlings, was to introduce this poem to me, and give me a heightened taste for something that would be with me all my life--Vicotriana!!!!!!!!!!!! For, as you will see, the illustrations are drawn in the period when Moore's poem first appeared, so the idea of Christmas as a very Victorian holiday, filled with Victorian traditions, became very important to me. And I loved the period art, and the look of the era!
If money were no object darlings, our place would be a monument to Vicotriana! We do our best, but, just like the Age Of Aquarius, the Victorian era cannot be fully recreated. Though bits and pieces of it survive, like this book, and, of course, the Christmas creche tree at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. which we will be visiting next Saturday, so stay tuned, dolls!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
My love for Holiday traditions began with this book, and has continued!
Just look at that period stocking hanging! And you should see the big fourposter and Victorian night clothes Mama and Papa sleep in!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Christmas was never the same for me, after this! How I hoped adulthood would turn out to be one, big Victorian fest! Alas, it has not!
But--you can always make your own, darlings!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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