In The Night Before Christmas: A Storytime with Santa, Santa reads aloud the timeless Christmas poem that families have shared for generations. Settled in by the fire, he brings the classic verse to life with warmth and care.
It’s a perfect watch for a quiet Christmas Eve — a magical storytime that helps children settle in as the most exciting night of the year approaches, told in Santa’s own unhurried voice.
Few pieces of writing have shaped the modern image of Christmas as much as this poem. Properly titled “A Visit from St. Nicholas,” it was first published anonymously in 1823, and is traditionally attributed to Clement Clarke Moore — though some scholars have argued the verse may have been the work of Henry Livingston Jr. Whoever first set down the lines, their influence is impossible to overstate.
So much of what families now picture at Christmas comes from this single poem: St. Nicholas arriving on Christmas Eve night, the sleigh drawn by eight reindeer, each one named, the descent down the chimney, the sack full of toys, the finger laid aside of the nose. The cheerful, round, twinkling-eyed Santa that the world knows was given much of his shape by these few stanzas.
Part of the poem’s enduring magic is its rhythm. It’s written to be read aloud — a rolling, galloping meter that carries listeners along and makes it a joy to hear even for children too young to follow every word. For nearly two centuries it has been a Christmas Eve fixture, read in homes around the world as the last story before sleep.
Having Santa himself read it adds something special. The poem is, after all, about his arrival — and hearing it in his own voice, on the very night it describes, turns a beloved tradition into something even more magical. It’s an ideal way to end Christmas Eve: children settled in, the house quiet, and Santa’s voice carrying them toward morning.
And if you’d love Santa to be part of your family’s Christmas in person, here’s how.
Santa Can Visit From Anywhere
Not in Southern California? Santa can still visit your family — virtually, from anywhere in the world.