Gardner traces the beginnings of this beloved poem and its gradual rise to fame as an indispensable part of America’s Christmas celebration. Beginning with a discussion about whether or not to allow children to believe in Santa Claus, Gardner recounts the history of the famous poem. After setting forth the original poem, Martin Gardner proceeds to later imitations, parodies, and sequels, beginning with a series of hilarious specimens all titled The Night After Christmas . The book concludes with a discussion of the only significant addition to the Santa Claus legend since Moore’s - Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer .