"Twas The Night Before Christmas" Poem & Printables
Last updated: November 20, 2025 by the Homemade Gifts Team
Certain things just scream “Christmas” to me, and few more so than “‘Twas the Night Before Christmas.” The famous poem is a Christmas tradition in my family, and these ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas printables help me get ready to celebrate. You can print out ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas pdfs or use the plain text to read the poem aloud and start your Christmas season.🌙🎅
That isn’t all you can do with a ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas printable. You can also use the poem as a game. We’ll have more on that later, but first, check out these ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas pdf printables. Click on whichever you want to print out, read, and maybe even color in for a bit of extra Christmas fun. Gather the family around for these printables.
"Twas The Night Before Christmas" Printable Poem
Grab your favorite version of the ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas printable poems here. Some even have a few extra surprises that you can color in.
These printables are for personal, non-commercial use only.
"Twas The Night Before Christmas" Poem (Full Text)
‘Twas the Night Before Christmas, written by Clement Clarke Moore, originally came out in 1823 under the title “A Visit From St. Nicholas.” It quickly gained popularity and cemented the image of the jolly St. Nick and his eight reindeer that we think of today. The poem endures to this day, evoking precious holiday memories many of us hold dear. Below, find the ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas text. No download required! 🎅📜
A Visit From St. Nicholas
by Clement Clarke Moore
'Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse;
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,
In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there;
The children were nestled all snug in their beds;
While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads;
And mamma in her 'kerchief, and I in my cap,
Had just settled our brains for a long winter's nap,
When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from my bed to see what was the matter.
Away to the window I flew like a flash,
Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash.
The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow,
Gave a lustre of midday to objects below,
When what to my wondering eyes did appear,
But a miniature sleigh and eight tiny reindeer,
With a little old driver so lively and quick,
I knew in a moment he must be St. Nick.
More rapid than eagles his coursers they came,
And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name:
"Now, Dasher! now, Dancer! now Prancer and Vixen!
On, Comet! on, Cupid! on, Donner and Blitzen!
To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall!
Now dash away! dash away! dash away all!"
As leaves that before the wild hurricane fly,
When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky;
So up to the housetop the coursers they flew
With the sleigh full of toys, and St. Nicholas too.
And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof
The prancing and pawing of each little hoof.
As I drew in my head, and was turning around,
Down the chimney St. Nicholas came with a bound.
He was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot,
And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot;
A bundle of toys he had flung on his back,
And he looked like a peddler just opening his pack.
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 on 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 bowl full of jelly.
He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf,
And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself;
A wink of his eye and a twist of his head
Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread;
He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,
And filled all the stockings; then turned with a jerk,
And laying his finger aside of his nose,
And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose;
He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle,
And away they all flew like the down of a thistle.
But I heard him exclaim, ere he drove out of sight,
“Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good night!”
This poem is in the public domain.
‘Twas the Night Before Christmas Game
You can turn your ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas printable into a fun game to play with the whole family. The poem can actually help with your holiday gift exchange! It’s true, and here’s how it works:
Maybe you’ve heard of the left-right game? This is very similar, but if you want to use your free printables of ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas you’ll need to make a slight tweak. The poem itself doesn’t have “left” and “right” in it enough for this game, so you’ll need to sneak the words into the poem yourself. This takes a little creativity, but can definitely be done.
For example, you can change “I sprang from my bed to see what was the matter” to “I left my bed to see what was the matter.” You could also change “He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work” to “He spoke not a word, but went right to his work.” Is it poem sacrilege? Maybe, but it makes for a fun holiday gift exchange, and we won’t tell!
Get creative and see how you can make this poem fit in with the classic game. If you’d like other examples of how to play the left-right game, check out our page about it here.
More Christmas Printables for Kids
If you're looking for more activities for the holiday season, take a look at our vast collection of free coloring pages, word searches, and templates! They're all completely free to download and will keep your little ones busy when they're stuck indoors during the winter months.
- Christmas Coloring Pages
- Letter to Santa Printable Templates
- Custom Letter From Santa to Print
- Printable Christmas Wish List Templates
- Elf Goodbye Letter
- Christmas Word Searches
- Christmas Word Scrambles
- Santa Coloring Pages
- Winter Word Searches
- Winter Coloring Pages
- Secret Santa Form
- Secret Santa Questions
- Printable Christmas Cards
After they've had their fill of word fun, lighten the mood and share some laughs with our collections of Christmas jokes, snow puns, and winter jokes for kids. Perfect for a chilly day indoors!
