“Happy Christmas to all, and to all a goodnight!”

The line is the closing benediction of the famous Christmas poem commonly known as “A Visit from St. Nicholas” (also widely called “’Twas the Night Before Christmas”), traditionally attributed to Clement Clarke Moore. Moore reportedly composed the poem for his children in the early 1820s, and it helped popularize a distinctly American image of St. Nicholas/Santa Claus—jolly, miniature, arriving by sleigh and reindeer. The poem first appeared anonymously in a New York newspaper in 1823 and was later reprinted widely; Moore’s authorship became associated with it in subsequent years. The farewell “Happy Christmas… good night” functions as the narrator’s final wish to the household and, by extension, to readers.

As the poem’s final line, the phrase serves as a warm, communal send-off that seals the magical episode with a blessing. “Happy Christmas” conveys seasonal goodwill, while “to all a good night” extends peace and rest beyond the immediate family to everyone—an inclusive gesture that helped the poem become a staple of holiday recitation. The line also reinforces the poem’s domestic frame: after the brief wonder of Santa’s visit, the household returns to quiet sleep. Its enduring popularity lies in its simplicity and cadence, making it easy to remember and repeat as a ritual closing to Christmas Eve storytelling.

“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!’”

“Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good night!”
“Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good-night!”
“Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!”