Erich Kästner's “Als der Nikolaus kam” (“The Night Before Christmas”)

The classic Christmas poem "The Night Before Christmas" was first published in 1823. The verses of this poem, also known as "A Visit from St. Nicholas," have become a popular element of the American Christmas tradition. Although the authorship of the original is in dispute, we know that the German author Erich Kästner wrote his German translation "Als der Nikolaus kam" in 1947. On our new "Night Before Christmas" page you can compare the German and the English line by line. More...

Advent: Adventskalender 2007