‘Twas the Night Before Christmas| Vegan Edition

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it’s a Bite Size Christmas Special: celebrate your holiday with this veganized version of the classic poem “Twas the Night Before Christmas” thought I’d have a little fun with the poem and re-frame it in a fresh, vegan perspective.

There’s nothing quite as traditionally Christmasy as the recitation of Clement Clarke Moore’s ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas and today I tweak that tradition by adding my own vegan twist to this classic.  Enjoy the vegan edition of this much-beloved poem, made cruelty-free and animal-conscious just for you!

‘Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house
Not a creature was harmed, not even a mouse;
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,
In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there;

Kids & fur kids were nestled snug in their beds,
While visions of fresh plums danced in their heads;
And Ooby in her collar, 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 the 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 the lustre of mid-day to objects below,
When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,
But a miniature sleigh, without any reindeer,

With a little old driver, so lively and quick,
I knew in a moment it must be Vegan St. Nick.
More rapid than eagles his sleigh did come near,
And he whistled, and shouted, and called out with cheer;

“Now, DASHER! now, DANCER! now, PRANCER and VIXEN!
Now, COMET! and CUPID! and, DONER and BLITZEN!
Are no longer slaves to this sleigh- they are free!
Now isn’t that simply just how it should be?

As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly,
When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky,
So up to the house-top the coursers he flew,
With the sleigh full of toys, and Vegan St. Nicholas too.

And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof
His sleigh had touched down without help of one hoof
As I wondered how exactly he’d gotten around

Down the chimney Vegan St. Nick 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;
I said “Oh I do hope your fur to be faux!”

He smiled and with a wink said, “of course it is so!”

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;

I asked him just how it is he came here
For how could he travel without his reindeer?
He smiled once again and gave me a nod,
“The fact I ever used deer strikes me as quite odd.
If I can bring gifts to the whole world in one night

Then certainly I can achieve reindeer-less flight!

For when work like mine is built on such magic,

The use of other beings is nothing but tragic!”
He gave a jolly laugh and launched into 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, deer and cruelty-free
And away he flew though he still called to me,
“Leave the exploitation of all animals behind!
VEGAN CHRISTMAS TO ALL, AND TO ALL BE KIND!”

Let me know what you thought of my re-imagining of this classical poem!  I’d love to hear your thoughts and your holiday plans in the comments below!

— Emily Moran Barwick

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FEATURED TOPICS:

Christmas

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poetry