A Visit from St. Nicholas
Facsimile edition

A Visit from Saint Nicholas
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Shown here: Page 1 of Moore's manuscript

Moore's 1833 poem presented a radically new benevolent image of Saint Nicholas. "A Visit From Saint Nicholas" introduced Santa Claus for the first time as a kind, plump, jolly elf who greeted readers with his twinkling eyes, rosy cheeks, and cheerful dimples. Moore's Saint Nicholas smoked a pipe, navigated a miniature sleigh pulled by eight reindeer, and made his entrance via the chimneys of homes.

The manuscript reveals the influence of other Christmas traditions that were emerging in the early nineteenth century. Washington Irving's comic work, A History of New York, From the Beginning of the World to the End of the Dutch Dynasty, by Diedrich Knickerbocker, depicted Saint Nicholas as a figure who wore a broad-brimmed hat and smoked a long pipe. Irving's character, however, was not associated with the Christmas season but was the then-familiar patron saint of New Amsterdam. Another significant influence was an illustrated poem produced by John Pintart that portrayed a slim Saint Nicholas who, again, was identified not with Christmas Eve, but with December 6. The character of Saint Nicholas created by both Irving and Pintart occupied a position of authority and issued rewards for the well-behaved and punishments for the disobedient. Moreover, the figure of Saint Nicholas guided a sleigh drawn by just one reindeer. This image of Saint Nicholas continued to dominate the public's conception of the Christmas season until 1821. Based somewhat on these sources, in addition to the workings of his own spendid imagination, Moore created the Santa Claus we know today.