The Holiday Season is upon us again, and many people will be reading, unknown, possibly the most blatant case of plagiarism in English history. Don Foster, who has a well-proven track record, has proved that the real author of A Visit From St. Nicholas was Major Henry Livingston, Jr, a Revolutionary War veteran who wrote the poem sometime before 1808. One only has to read a sample of Major Livingston’s other poems to see the similarities. Â Still, read the link above for the details, I suspect you will be convinced.
“The Night Before Christmas” is as different from Moore’s other children’s verse as Christmas cookies from steamed spinach.  —Don Foster