Clement.C.Y Moore author page

Clement.C.Y Moore biography

Clement C. Moore is Clement Clarke Moore, the writer associated with the poem “A Visit from St. Nicholas”, which later became widely known as “The Night Before Christmas”. He was born in New York City, attended Columbia College and graduated in 1798. He worked as a professor of literature and theology, and taught Greek and oriental literature at the General Theological Seminary from 1823 until his retirement in 1850.

“A Visit from St. Nicholas” was written in 1822 and published the following year in the Troy Sentinel. The poem helped shape the image of St Nicholas as a sleigh-riding Christmas gift-giver and contributed to the modern Santa Claus story. Moore’s text continues to be published for children in illustrated editions, including The Night Before Christmas, published by Charlesbridge on 1 October 2010, and Twas the Night Before Christmas: Or Account of a Visit from St. Nicholas, published by Candlewick Press on 13 September 2022.