Phillies Harry Kalas reads T’was the Night Before Christmas

It’s an annual Phillies tradition like none other for fans

Phillies fans enjoy many traditions, but few are as special as the annual Harry Kalas T’was the Night Before Christmas reading.

The poem’s actual title is “A Visit from St. Nicholas,” but has become commonly known as “T’was the Night Before Christmas.” Harry read the poem many years on CBS3 Eyewitness News to a small group of wide-eyed kids, and it became an instant classic for Phillies fans to listen to every Christmas Eve.

Here’s the great Harry Kalas with his reading of T’was the Night Before Christmas.

Harry added his own adaptation to the poem, noting his great friend Richie “Whitey” Ashburn’s pipe being like St. Nick’s.

It’s been 10 years since Harry passed in the Washington Nationals broadcast booth just before a game. Being able to hear his warm voice read this classic Christmas poem brings back such great memories of his time as the voice of the Phillies.

Thankfully, he was finally able to call a Phillies World Series win after not being allowed to do so in 1980 and he received his World Series ring just days before his untimely death.

Since then fans have been left with just the recordings, such as this one, and the statue built and dedicated by the fans in Citizens Bank Park just off the deck of Harry the K’s in left field.

God Bless ya Harry, and Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all of the great Phillies fans out there!