’Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house, / Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse;.

Opening lines from the well-known Christmas narrative poem commonly titled "A Visit from St. Nicholas," setting a quiet, late-night scene in a household on Christmas Eve.

The lines establish stillness and anticipation, emphasizing how completely calm the home is just before the arrival of holiday magic.

'Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house, / Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse;