It has been nearly two centuries since the first publication of A Visit from St. Nicholas by Clement Clarke Moore. Since my earliest memory of Christmas, like countless other folks, I have revisited the poem every year and have derived pleasure from each reading. It never gets old.

When my wife encountered cancer in 1992, a certain reallocation of marital tasks became necessary. So for going on three decades, I’ve composed our annual Christmas letter to family and friends. In 2020, bogged down with the pandemic and seeking a change of pace, I wrote an imagined sequel to the tale and sent it off to the core of our mailing list, about seventy households.

It may have been an effect of the season or simply an impulsive act of comity or affection, but there were an unexpected number of responses, some of which suggested that wider publication should be explored. So here we are. I do hope you enjoy this variation and share it with your family. Merry Christmas.