In 2020 we had a brilliant idea – staff and volunteers across B&NES Council would collectively read our favourite Christmas poem, ”Twas The Night Before Christmas’, or, ‘A Visit From St. Nicholas’, by Clement C. Moore. Unfortunately, things went a bit wrong and we need your help to solve this Christmas puzzle!
How To Solve The Puzzle
Some of the text is missing, some has been replaced and sometimes we just want more information to tell the story properly.
You’ll need to go on a treasure hunt to find the answers to this Christmas puzzle; expect to search the internet for maps or coordinates, webpages, words and answers. This isn’t an easy challenge, but the clues are all there and if you put in a wrong answer you’ll get a hint to nudge you in the right direction. When in doubt, copy and paste!
Results
‘Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house, not a creature was stirring, not even a ?????; The stockings were hung by the chimney with care in hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there;
#1. The mouse is missing! Where is it hiding?
The children were nestled all snug in their beds, While visions of ????? danced in their heads; And mamma in her kerchief, and I in my cap, had just settled our brains for a long winter’s nap,
#2. Quick – we need to make some festive sugar-plums! How many grams of luxury dried fruit does Delia say to use?
When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter, I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter. Away to the window I flew like a ?????, tore open the shutters and threw up the sash.
#3. Flew like who??
The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow gave the lustre of mid-day to objects below, when, what to my wondering eyes should appear, but a miniature sleigh, and eight tiny reindeer,
#4. The UK doesn’t often get a White Christmas, but there was once a staggering 47cm of snow on the ground. Which year was it?
With a little old driver, so lively and quick, I knew in a moment it must be St. Nick. More rapid than eagles his coursers they came, and he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name:
#5. How rapid? And what type of eagles? Let’s say we’re talking about Bald Eagles, how fast does St. Nick need to fly to keep up with them and reach the end of the poem?
“Now, Dasher! now, Dancer now, Prancer and Vixen! On, Gouger! on, Rooter! on, Tusker and Snouter! To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall! Now dash away! Dash away! Dash away all!”
#6. Someone has swapped four of the reindeer for Hogs! Who was it?
As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly, when they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky; So up to the house-top the coursers they flew, with the (sliegh? slay? sleigh?) full of toys, and St. Nicholas too.
#7. sl-EI-gh! We all know now that ‘I before E, except after C’ isn’t really true, but which British band’s 1982 album featured a track perpetrating this myth?
And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof The prancing and pawing of each little hoof. As I drew in my head, and was turning around, Down the chimney St. Nicholas came with a bound.
#8. St. Nick came out of the chimney place, but where is a place called Chimney?
He was dressed all in fur, from his head to his boot, and his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot; A bundle of toys he had flung on his back, and he looked like a peddler just opening his pack.
#9. A rogue word has sneaked in to that stanza! But which word has it replaced?
His eyes–how they twinkled! His dimples how merry! His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry! His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow, and the beard of his chin was as white as the snow;
#10. Presumably his cheeks were the colour of roses rather than covered in thorns, but we still need more information! What colour of Rose are Santa Claus’ cheeks?
The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth, and the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath; He had a broad face and a little round belly, that shook when he laughed, like a bowlful of jelly.
#11. Let’s help St Nick out – which of these will stop jelly wibble-wobbling?
Mj bfx hmzggd fsi uqzru, f wnlmy otqqd tqi jqk, Fsi N qfzlmji bmjs N xfb mnr, ns xunyj tk rdxjqk; F bnsp tk mnx jdj fsi f ybnxy tk mnx mjfi, Xtts lfaj rj yt pstb N mfi stymnsl yt iwjfi;
#12. That’s unhelpful. This whole stanza has been enciphered, but who did it?
He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work, and filled all the ?????; then turned with a jerk, and laying his finger aside of his nose, and giving a nod, up the chimney he rose;
#13. We need a stocking and the bigger the better! How long was the largest Christmas Stocking ever, approximately?
He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle, and away they all flew like the down of a thistle. But I heard him exclaim, ere he drove out of sight, “Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good-night.”
#14. We want to share the festive feeling with everyone, but our translator has become confused – which one of these DOES NOT wish for a Happy Christmas?
We did, eventually, sort out the mess and you can watch the video here!