Original poem by Clement Clarke Moore with additions (in bold) to encourage a PLASTIC-FREE Christmas:
‘Twas the night before my plastic-free Christmas when all through our non-toxic plastic-free house not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse. Our glitter-free stockings were hung by the chimney with care in hopes that all of our plastic-free gifts from St Nick soon would be there. The children were snuggled under organic down comforters all snug in their beds while visions of homemade toys danced in their heads. While momma in her organic cotton cap and I in my wool hat had just settled down under cotton quilts for a long winter’s nap.
When out on our solar-paneled roof there arose such a clatter I sprang from my bamboo sheets to see what was the matter! Away to the wooden window I flew in a flash tore open the shutter and threw up the sash. The moon on the breast of the new fallen snow gave the luster of midday to all of my locally-sourced natural embellishments still unpicked, below when what to my wondering eyes should appear but a hand-made 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 using brown paper tape, his coursers they came, and as he took a drink from his stainless-steel reusable water bottle he 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 sustainably-sourced hardwood porch! To the top of the natural stone wall Now dash away! Dash away! Dash away all!"
As all of my non-plastic waste-producing decorations had been gradually removed from our sustainable earth-friendly celebrations up to the housetop his carbon friendly reindeer flew with the sleigh full of toys made from old milk jugs, and St. Nicholas too. And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof the prancing and pawing of each little low-carbon-emission 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 secondhand furs made from recycled plastic, from his head to his Rothy’s covered foot, his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot. A bundle of toys wrapped in reusable, festive fabric bags he had flung on his back, and he looked like a plastic-free zero-waste peddler just opening his pack. His eyes--how they twinkled! His dimples, how merry! His cheeks were like potted roses his nose like a gift-basket cherry! His droll little mouth was drawn up like a burlap ribbon bow, and the beard on his chin was as white as the snow.
He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work, and filled all the stockings with tickets, experiences, homemade and secondhand gifts, then turned with a jerk. And laying his finger aside of his nose, and giving a nod, up the chimney he rose. The stump of a stainless steel straw he held tight in his teeth, and the bubbles from the naturally corked champagne encircled his head like a wreath
He had a broad face and a little round belly that shook when he laughed, like a bowl full of glass-jarred homemade jelly. He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle, and away they all flew like e-cards sent out far and wide like a missile But I heard him exclaim “Don’t forget the Plastic-Free Christmas Dinner tomorrow”'ere he drove out of sight, "Happy Plastic-Free Christmas to all, and to all a good night!"