How a poem created our modern Christmas customs 聖誕節的獨一無二

Reference: The Economist

It’s among the most iconic poems in the English language—nearly as well-known as Christmas itself. A single word can set it in motion: “‘Twas.” You likely know the rest—or at least much of it.

當它提到其中一首最著名的英文詩時，幾乎和聖誕節本身一樣聞名。只需一個字就足以讓它展開：“‘Twas。”你大概知道接下來的內容，或者至少知道其中不少。

Clement Clarke Moore’s A Visit from St. Nicholas, more commonly recognized by its opening line, “‘Twas the Night Before Christmas,” was first published on December 23, 1823, and has been beloved ever since. However, the poem is more than just a cheerful piece of holiday poetry—it envisioned the details that have shaped modern Christmas into what it is today.

克萊門特·克拉克·摩爾 (Clement Clarke Moore) 的《聖尼古拉的拜訪》(A Visit from St. Nicholas)，更廣為人知的是它的第一句：「‘Twas the Night Before Christmas」，於1823年12月23日首次發表，自那時起便深受喜愛。然而，這首詩不僅僅是一首充滿歡樂的節日詩句——它構想出一些細節，塑造了我們今天所熟悉的現代聖誕節模樣。

Today, the poem is celebrated worldwide, but its origins trace back to the small town of Troy, New York, where it first appeared in the Sentinel. Earlier this December, on a cold and rainy Saturday, Troy paid tribute to its most famous literary contribution during its annual holiday festival. Beneath the shadow of a towering monument honoring Trojans who served in the Civil War, a group of amateur actors performed a delightfully whimsical skit about the poem’s creation. The performance featured an elf, a magical mouse, two reindeer, and Santa himself. Later that evening, Troy’s mayor, Patrick Madden, dressed in a top hat and black cape, delivered a spirited recitation of the beloved poem.

今天，這首詩在全球廣為人知，但它的起源可追溯到紐約州特洛伊小鎮，首次發表於當地的《哨兵報》(Sentinel)。今年12月初的一個寒冷雨天，特洛伊在年度節日慶典中向這份最著名的文學貢獻致敬。在一座紀念參加南北戰爭的特洛伊人的高大石柱下，一群業餘演員演出了一場充滿趣味的短劇，再現了詩的創作過程。表演中還有一位精靈、一隻魔法老鼠、兩隻馴鹿和聖誕老人助陣。當晚，特洛伊市長帕特里克·馬登 (Patrick Madden) 身穿高禮帽和黑披風，熱情地朗誦了這首廣受喜愛的詩作。

The extraordinary fame of the poem is largely a matter of chance, as is its connection to Troy. Originally published anonymously, its authorship remained a mystery for 21 years until Moore finally came forward. Interestingly, Moore was not from Troy but a wealthy resident of Manhattan. He had written the poem solely for his children, but a family friend sent it to the Sentinel without his consent. Years later, at his children’s urging, Moore included the poem in a published collection of his works, officially claiming credit for the timeless classic.

這首詩的巨大名聲很大程度上是偶然的，它與特洛伊的聯繫亦是如此。最初，詩是匿名發表的，直到21年後作者才公開身份。耐人尋味的是，摩爾並非特洛伊人，而是一位住在曼哈頓的富商。他原本僅為自己的孩子創作了這首詩，但一位家庭朋友未經允許將其寄給了《哨兵報》。多年後，在孩子們的敦促下，摩爾將這首詩收錄到自己的詩集裡，正式承認了這部不朽經典的作者身份。

In Moore’s time, Christmas was less celebrated, with no mention in the Bible and ties to pagan traditions. Scholars believe it was set in December to align with festivals like Saturnalia, known for its revelry. Even later, Christmas retained its rowdy roots, with traditions like Twelfth Night in Britain, where the poor demanded food and drink from the wealthy.

在摩爾的時代，聖誕節並不如今日般盛行，《聖經》中也未提及，且與異教傳統有關。學者認為，將聖誕節定於12月是為了與如農神節(Saturnalia)這類節日相契合，而這些節日以狂歡著稱。即使後來，聖誕節仍保留了其喧鬧的傳統，例如英國的主顯節之夜(Twelfth Night)，窮人可以向富人要求食物與飲品。

In Moore’s New York, where rapid population growth was causing unrest, gangs would disrupt wealthy neighborhoods during Christmas. The Knickerbockers aimed to replace this chaotic tradition with a quieter, more respectable holiday. Moore’s A Visit from St. Nicholas played a key role in this shift, transforming Christmas from a loud, public celebration to a peaceful, domestic affair, says Thomas Ruys Smith of the University of East Anglia. This, Smith argues, makes Moore “the foundational writer of 19th-century Christmas.”

在摩爾生活的紐約，人口激增引發社會動盪，幫派在聖誕節時會騷擾富人社區。尼克博克派（Knickerbockers）試圖用更安靜且更得體的方式取代這種混亂的傳統。摩爾的《聖尼古拉的拜訪》在這場轉變中發揮了重要作用，將聖誕節從喧鬧的公共慶典轉變為和平的家庭節日。東英吉利大學教授托馬斯·魯伊斯·史密斯（Thomas Ruys Smith）表示，這使摩爾成為“19世紀聖誕節的奠基作家”。

Moore stripped St. Nick and Christmas of nearly all religious elements, a change that likely boosted its universal appeal. By removing class tensions and theological weight, he created a more inclusive and attractive version of the holiday.

摩爾將聖尼古拉和聖誕節幾乎完全去除了宗教元素，此舉可能增加了其普遍吸引力。摒棄階級衝突與神學包袱，摩爾打造出了一個更具包容性且更受歡迎的聖誕節。

Moore might have wished to be remembered for compiling the first American Hebrew dictionary or for his philanthropy. Yet, as the saying goes, books—and poems—choose their own fates. A Visit from St. Nicholas doesn’t just recount a Christmas miracle; its remarkable success and cultural influence make it one as well.

摩爾或許更希望自己因編寫美國第一本希伯來文詞典或慈善事業而被銘記。然而，正如俗語所說，書籍——以及詩歌——自有其命運。《聖尼古拉的拜訪》不僅講述了一個聖誕奇蹟，它非凡的成功與文化影響本身也是一個奇蹟。