“Twas the Night Before Christmas at the Granville Island Hotel”
Adaptations from Clement Clarke Moore’s classic Christmas Poem
‘Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the hotel
Not a creature was stirring, not even the seagulls;
The stockings were hung by the front desk with care,
In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there;
The guests were nestled all snug in their beds,
While visions of Christmas brunch danced in their heads;
And Chef in the kitchen, and I at the desk,
Had just sat down for a few minutes rest,
When from Ron Basford park arose such a clatter,
I sprang from my desk to see what was the matter.
Away to the window I flew like a flash,
To open the shutters and throw up the sash.
The moon how it set False Creek all aglow
and gave lustre of mid-day to objects below,
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.
More rapid than Canadian Geese his coursers they came,
And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name;
“Now, DASHER! now, DANCER! now, PRANCER and VIXEN!
On, COMET! on CUPID! on, DONNER and BLITZEN!
To the top of the hill to the top of the wall
Now dash away! dash away! dash away all!”
And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof
The prancing and pawing of each little hoof.
As I drew from the window and returned to the desk,
St. Nicholas appeared looking statuesque.
He was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot,
And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot;
A bundle of gifts he had flung on his back,
And he looked like a peddler just opening his pack.
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;
The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth,
Which he put out upon entering the hotel as we are nonsmoking;
He had a broad face and a little round belly,
That shook, when he laughed like a bowlful of jelly.
He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf,
And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself;
A wink of his eye and a twist of his head,
Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread;
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 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!’
Wishing you and your families all the best this wonderful holiday season
From your friends at the Granville Island Hotel.