Twas the Story That Changed Christmas
Holiday Magic & History: The REAL Stories Behind the Season
By Christine Darrow
ISBN: 978-1-7338053-7-7
Pub Date: Oct 31, 2026
38 Pages color
Trade Paperback. 8-1/2″ x 11″ Color
Join Christine the History Queen on a magical journey into the real stories behind two beloved Christmas traditions.
Discover how Clement Clarke Moore’s visit to Constable Hall and his friendship with its “fat and jolly” groundskeeper Pieter, whom he described as having an “old elf-like appearance,” shaped Santa’s iconic image and inspired ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas.
Then travel to North Pole, New York, where the creation of Santa’s Workshop became America’s first theme park and helped inspire Walt Disney to build Disneyland.
Filled with fascinating history, real photographs, and Christmas magic, this book proves that some of the best holiday stories are the ones that really happened!
AS SEEN ON PBS AND NEXSTAR TV STATIONS
About the Author
Christine Darrow is the host of PBS show, Christine the History Queen, an entertaining yet informative television docuseries that utilizes historical evidence to tell the stories behind the history. Darrow is a historian with a master’s degree in museum studies from Oklahoma University and a bachelor’s degree in Archaeology/Anthropology from SUNY Potsdam. In 2017, Darrow was an American Alliance of Museums (AAM) MUSE award recipient for an audio exhibit at the American Maple Museum produced by DayStar Productions.She is the author of the Christine the History Queen children’s book series which focuses on the untold true stories behind the history. These books engage children in a variety of topics using historical evidence.In addition to Christine the History Queen, Darrow is an actress with appearances in Happy Gilmore 2, Christmas at the Interlaken, A Jar Full of Christmas and Heavy Hitters.Christine resides in Antwerp, NY with her husband and two sets of twins.