I saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus

"I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus" is an American Christmas song with music and lyrics by Tommie Connor.

The original recording by Jimmy Boyd reached number one on the Billboard charts in 1952, and on the Cash Box chart at the beginning of the following year. The song was commissioned by Neiman Marcus to promote the store's Christmas card for the year, which featured an original sketch by artist Perry Barlow, who drew for The New Yorker for many decades.

The song describes a scene where a child creeps down from his bedroom to see his mother kissing "Santa Claus" (presumably his father in a Santa Claus costume) underneath the mistletoe.

Boyd's record was condemned by the Roman Catholic Church in Boston when it was released on the grounds that it mixed kissing with Christmas, ignoring the fact that mistletoe, under which many couples kiss, is traditionally hung in many homes during the Christmas season. Boyd, aged 13, was photographed meeting with the Archdiocese to explain the song. After the meeting, the ban was lifted

I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Clause (Lyrics and Chords
recorded by Brenda Lee
written by Tommie Connor
G D7 G
I saw mommy kissing Santa Claus
D7
Underneath the mistletoe last night
G
She didn't see me creep down the stairs to have a peek
A7 D7
She thought that I was tucked up in my Bedroom fast asleep

G D7 G
Then I saw mommy tickle Santa Claus
C
Underneath his beard so snowy white
D7
What a laugh it would have been
G D7
If daddy had only seen
G D7 G
Mommy kissing Santa Claus last night

D7 G
I saw mommy kissing Santa Claus
D7
Underneath the mistletoe last night
G
She didn't see me creep down the stairs to have peek
A7 D7
She thought that I was tucked up in my Bedroom fast asleep

repeat #2

D7 G D7 G
Mommy kissing Santa Claus last night

Twas the Night before Christmas

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.

The children were nestled all snug in their beds,
While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads.
And mamma in her ‘kerchief, and I in my cap,
Had just settled our brains for a long winter’s nap.

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

The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow
Gave the lustre of mid-day to objects below.
When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,
But a miniature sleigh, and eight tinny reindeer.

With a little old driver, so lively and quick,
I knew in a moment it must be St Nick.
More rapid than eagles 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, on Donner and Blitzen!
To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall!
Now dash away! Dash away! Dash away all!"

As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly,
When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky.
So up to the house-top the coursers they flew,
With the sleigh full of Toys, and St Nicholas too.

And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof
The prancing and pawing of each little hoof.
As I drew in my head, and was turning around,
Down the chimney St Nicholas came with a bound.

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 Toys 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,
And the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath.
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!"

Twas the night before Christmas Poem also called “A Visit from St. Nicholas"

"A Visit from St. Nicholas", also known as "The Night Before Christmas" and "'Twas the Night Before Christmas" from its first line, is apoem first published anonymously in 1823 and generally attributed to Clement Clarke Moore, although the claim has also been made that it was written by Henry Livingston, Jr.

The poem, which has been called "arguably the best-known verses ever written by an American", is largely responsible for the conception of Santa Claus from the mid-nineteenth century to today, including his physical appearance, the night of his visit, his mode of transportation, the number and names of his reindeer, as well as the tradition that he brings toys to children. Prior to the poem, American ideas about St. Nicholas and other Christmastide visitors varied considerably. The poem has influenced ideas about St. Nicholas and Santa Claus beyond the United States to the rest of the English-speaking world and beyond.

All About Santa Claus

It's only fitting that since Santa Claus has the magnificent capability to  visit homes around the world in a single night that more than one place would  claim to be his home. It's common belief that Santa hails from the wintry North  Pole, but folks in Finland will also tell you that Santa calls that country his  home.

To prove it, the Finns will even invite you to visit Santa in his workshop  before Christmas or during the year and talk with Santa Claus as he and his  elves busy themselves for their end-of-year Christmas expedition around the  globe.

The popularity in America today of the images and legend of Santa Claus  can be traced to the poem, 'Twas the Night Before Christmas,' that was written  by Clement Clarke Moore in 1822. In that poem, Moore described St. Nicholas as a  jolly fellow who flew from house to house in a sleigh pulled by reindeers and  waited for children to go to bed on Christmas Eve before he came down the  chimney to deliver Christmas presents for them.

Following the distribution of that poem, the popular magazine Harper's Weekly  published cartoons by Thomas Nast between 1863 and 1886 that depicted Santa as a  cheerful fellow with a large round belly and long white beard who wore a bright  red suit that was trimmed with white fur. In those cartoons, Santa also held a  sack, which was filled with toys for boys and girls, over his shoulder. The  cartoons also showed Santa reading letters from good boys and girls, working in  his workshop with his elves, checking his list to make sure he had all the  required toys and even showed his wife, Mrs. Claus.

The tradition of Santa Claus was brought to America however by Dutch colonists  who settled in New York City, which was called New Amsterdam at the time.  The real St. Nicholas is said to be a minor saint from the 4th Century with a  reputation for generosity and kindness that gave rise to legends of many  miracles that he performed for the poor and unhappy. One of the stories about  the legend of St. Nicholas is that he saved three poor girls who were sisters  from being sold into a life of slavery or prostitution by their father.

According to the legend, Santa Claus provided the girls with a dowry so that  they could get married. The legend of St. Nicholas led to hundreds of people being devoted to him and  consequently thousands of European churches became dedicated to him. After the  Reformation period however, widespread practice and worship of St. Nicholas  disappeared in European countries that were Protestant, except in Holland where  the legend of St. Nicholas continued. St. Nicholas was known as Sint Nikolaas  but that was later corrupted to Sinter Klaas.  Dutch colonists took this tradition of Sinter Klaas to New York City where it  was adopted using the Englist name of Santa Claus.

Over time, the Dutch legend  of the kindly saint was combined with old Nordic folktales about a magician who  punished naughty children and rewarded good ones with presents to give rise to  the stories that now exist about Santa Claus. The red and white-trimmed suit of Santa Claus is believed to be the colors that  the original St. Nicholas worebecause red and white were the colors of the robes  worn by traditional bishops. It is also believed that the Coca Cola Co. played a  role in what is regarded as the popular look of Santa Claus today through  paintings by artist Haddon Sundblom that were placed in some of the company's  advertisement between 1931 and 1964.