Twas Night Before Christmas Left Right Game: The 1823 Poem, 2 Ways

The 1823 poem with LEFT and RIGHT lines added, and your family's names in them.

4 words needed. What you type stays in this browser.

Example, filled in with our words

The Night Before Christmas, Short Version

Every LEFT that you hear sends your gift on its way, Every RIGHT brings one back. Are we ready? Let's play.

'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;

In the Pickering house there were two on the shelf: The LEFT one for Little Mo, the RIGHT for myself.

When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter, I sprung 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.

Not a thing to the LEFT, not a thing to the RIGHT, Only Juniper Hollow, fast asleep in the cold winter night.

When, what to my wondering eyes should appear, But a miniature sleigh, and eight tiny reindeer,

With a little old driver, so lively and quick, I knew in a moment it must be St. Nick.

He tugged the LEFT rein, and the sleigh swung about, And he called every one of his team with a shout:

"Now! Dasher, now! Dancer, now! Prancer, and Vixen, On! Comet, on! Cupid, on! Dunder and Blixem;

"To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall! Now dash away! dash away! dash away all!"

So they LEFT the front lawn for the roof overhead, RIGHT over the room where Uncle Dez lay in bed.

As I drew in my head, and was turning around, Down the chimney St. Nicholas came with a bound:

He was chubby and plump, a RIGHT jolly old elf, And I laughed when I saw him in spite of myself;

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 LEFT not a crumb on the plate by the tree, And LEFT a small present for you and for me.

But I heard him exclaim, ere he drove out of sight, Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good night.

And now there is nothing more LEFT to be read, So open your gift RIGHT now, then to bed.

The Night Before Christmas, Short Version

How it works

This 'Twas the night before Christmas game keeps the 1823 poem's couplets in order and adds rhyming lines that say LEFT and RIGHT. Press Start: give me 4 words to add your town, family name and two names, then Print.

How the night before Christmas gift exchange game works

Everyone sits in a circle holding a wrapped gift. One person reads; at each LEFT or RIGHT in capitals, all gifts move one seat that way. The short version keeps 13 of the poem's 28 couplets and takes 3 minutes. The full poem runs 8 minutes in two parts: add the same names to both and print both before the party.

A night before Christmas game with no added lines

Read any copy of the poem and pass left on every "the". The 1823 printing and Moore's 1844 book both have 34; "and" comes 28 times and "his" 21. Modern editions may differ by a word. If anyone ends up holding their own gift, the count divided evenly by your group, so everyone passes once more.

Tips

  • The poem's own "a right jolly old elf" is printed as a cue, RIGHT in capitals. Pass on it.
  • Each part moves every gift one seat left; the short version, and both parts together, two.
  • The short version leaves out the pipe couplet. The full poem keeps it, in Part Two, as printed in 1823.

Questions and answers

Is this the 'Twas the night before Christmas game poem everyone knows?

Yes. The couplets follow the first printing, in the Troy Sentinel of December 23, 1823, where the poem ran unsigned as Account of a Visit from St. Nicholas. We opened old spellings such as danc'd, removed the dashes, and added our own lines between couplets.

Why does it say Dunder and Blixem?

That is how the 1823 newspaper printed the last two reindeer. Clement Clarke Moore, first named as the author in print in 1837, spelled them Donder and Blitzen in his own 1844 book of poems. Read whichever your family knows.

Does the night before Christmas right left game work for any group size?

Any circle of three or more works, because every version passes one or two more times LEFT than RIGHT, so nobody finishes with their own gift. For 20 or more players, read slowly and wait for the gifts to settle after each cue.

All 3 readings

Show the list
  • The Night Before Christmas, Short Version Short, about 3 minutes. LEFT 8, RIGHT 6. Keeps 13 of the poem's 28 couplets. Every gift ends two seats to the left of its giver. Asks for 4 words: 2 × name, 1 × town, 1 × family name.
  • The Night Before Christmas, Part One Full poem, part one, about 4 minutes. LEFT 9, RIGHT 8. Couplets 1 to 15. Every gift ends one seat to the left of its giver, two if you read on to Part Two. Asks for 4 words: 2 × name, 1 × town, 1 × family name.
  • The Night Before Christmas, Part Two Full poem, part two, about 4 minutes. LEFT 8, RIGHT 7. Couplets 16 to 28. One more seat to the left: two seats in all after both parts. Asks for 4 words: 2 × name, 1 × town, 1 × family name.

The kinds of words the game asks for

  • Name a first name; a made-up one is fine. More examples: Sir Reginald, Professor Plum, Doctor Noodle.

How these stories were written: The poem is A Visit from St. Nicholas as first printed, unsigned, in the Troy Sentinel on December 23, 1823 (https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Page:A_Visit_From_St_Nicholas_-_Troy_Sentinel.png); it is in the public domain. Moore's 1844 text: https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Poems_(Moore)/A_visit_from_St._Nicholas. Some scholars credit Henry Livingston Jr. instead of Moore (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Visit_from_St._Nicholas). All checked 2026-09-20. The added LEFT and RIGHT lines were written for this site in September 2026. Licence: Poem: public domain (1823). Added lines: own work.