The Twelve Nightmares of Christmas, Day Eight: Today I Learned…

The author Washington Irving is best known for his story “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow”, a Halloween staple featuring the terrifying specter of the Headless Horseman. But what is less-known is Irving’s contribution to the lore of Christmas. It was Irving who came up with Santa’s workaround for locked doors — a squeeze down the chimney. In an 1812 short story, “Knickerbocker’s History of New York”, Irving first tells of Santa “rattl(ing) down the chimney” to “bring his yearly presents to children.”