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Santa in the Early 1800's
America is where Santa started to get fat! Before the 1800's, he was described as a tall, slender figure in long robes with a flowing beard. He also traveled with a donkey to carry the gifts - and usually walked with a long staff. All of this changed with the publication of a single poem.
Dr. Clement Clarke Moore was a theology professor in New York. In 1822, he wrote a poem called "The Night Before Christmas" to read to his children on Christmas Eve. In it, he gave Santa a new round look, a team of reindeer and and gift-packed sleigh.
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This poem might has stayed within the Moore family, but a friend mailed it to a newspaper. It was published, then quickly picked up by other newspapers and magazines until it was being read all over the world.
Dr. Moore was a serious scholor and wasn't anxious to admit that he'd written a poem for kids. It wasn't unti 1838 that he agreed to let his name be run as the author. By that time, he had changed the folklore of Santa Claus forever.
Read "The Night Before Christmas"
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