Twas The Night Before Parody

With the year coming to a close, some familiar traditions are dusted off and placed on mantels and dining room tables. As with rollerblades, mullets, and Marmite, traditions are not for everyone, and there is a time and place where they are more or less suitable. Sometimes, traditions are such a part of our daily lives that we recognize them more by external markers rather than by purpose or content. We are so prone to recall how a tradition makes us feel,  that we may at times forget what it is really about. And while the comfort of recognition is crucial to traditions, it also makes them ripe for parody and pastiche. 

Both parody and pastiche utilize markers, tropes, and imitations of famously established works and practices. While the former does it to derive humor, the latter is more in the business of paying homage. The work most frequently lampooned and honored in William & Mary’s Special Collections is the subject of the Nancy H. Marshall Collection of Clement Clarke Moore’s famous American poem “A Visit from St. Nicholas,” or, as it more commonly known, 'Twas the Night Before Christmas. The Marshall collection contains many different editions of Moore’s poem as well as related artifacts.  Do you want an illustrated version? We got you covered. Are you more of a smeller rather than a reader? We can help you with that. Do you want to brush up on your Japanese? これ以上探さない.  But more to the point, we also have several books that use the elements of 'Twas the Night Before Christmas for the sake of parody or pastiche. 

This exhibit uses different versions of Clement Clarke Moore’s famous poem "A Visit From St. Nicholas" to explore the parameters and possibilities of parody and pastiche. As the different iterations show, both tradition and derision have many faces and functions, and these new versions depict religions and cultures that often are underrepresented in holiday literature.

Curator: Erna Anderson, Ph.D Candidate in American Studies and 2020-2021 Special Collections Exhibits Apprentice

Designer: Jennie Davy, Exhibits Manager

Additional Support: Sara Belmont, Web Developer; Phillip Emanuel, Ph.D. Candidate in History and Special Collections Graduate Student Assistant; Jay Gaidmore, Marian and Alan McLeod Director of Special Collections; Karen King, Special Collections Research Center Cataloger; Kathleen McCallister, Cataloging & Metadata Librarian; Susan Riggs, Special Collections Assistant; Michelle Runyon, Digital Archivist Ute Schechter, Warren E. Burger Archivist

Exhibit Banner Design: Abram Clear '21, Special Collections Graphic Design Student Assistant