“The Night Before Christmas” was written in 1822 and first published anonymously on December 23, 1823, under the title “A Visit from St. Nicholas” in the Troy Sentinel newspaper in New York.

Quick date facts

  • Most scholars agree the poem was composed in 1822 as a Christmas piece for the author’s children.
  • It then appeared in print on December 23, 1823 , in the Troy Sentinel, without the author’s name.
  • The poem is better known today by its opening line, “’Twas the night before Christmas.”

Who wrote it?

  • The poem is traditionally credited to Clement Clarke Moore , a New York scholar and poet who later included it in his 1844 collection, confirming his claim to authorship.
  • Some descendants and a few researchers argue that Henry Livingston Jr. actually wrote it earlier, but this remains a debated minority view without universally accepted proof.

Why the date matters today

  • The 1822–1823 origin means the poem is now over 200 years old and is often highlighted in media and forums around Christmas as a key moment in shaping the modern image of Santa Claus.
  • Its early 19th‑century publication helped popularize many now-familiar Santa details, including his reindeer and his Christmas Eve visit.

TL;DR: It was written in 1822 and first published on December 23, 1823, as “A Visit from St. Nicholas,” later famous as “The Night Before Christmas.”

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.