Spreading that Santa Clause Cheer

His eyes-how they twinkled! his dimples how merry!

His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!

His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow,

And the beard of his chin was as white as the snow.

The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth,

And the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath.

He had a broad face and a little round belly,

That shook when he laughed, like a bowlful of jelly!

He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf,

And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself!

Though this passage I pulled from Clement Clarke Moore's famous poem, "T'was the Night Before Christmas," doesn't mention the name of person it describes, I'm sure you've already guessed who it is--Santa Claus, of course!

Moore's poem pictures Old St. Nick as we know him today and gave us the idea of his appearance and personality (plump and jolly) and his activity on the night of Christmas Eve (coming down the chimney to deliver gifts and his eight reindeer.)

Originally, Santa (St. Nicholas) was just an ordinary man.