From A Visit From St. Nicholas by C.C. Moore (probably).
How, though?
Seems to me that since the beard’s been going down all the same chimneys that tarnished his clothes with ashes and soot, it should be kinda dingy too.
Does he wear a little beard cozy on his way down and up the chimneys? A balaclava?
Have you looked at the snow at the side of the road after a few days? Stuff ain’t all that white.
He’s got flying reindeer, visits every house on earth in 24 hours, carries enough toys for every kid in a single sleigh, and you’re worried about how he keeps his beard white? 
Santa’s magic makes him impervious to dirt. Duh.
No, I’m also wondering how the Dad “[throws] open the shutters” THEN “pull[s] up the sash.”
Most houses I’ve seen that have shutters, have them on the OUTSIDE.
My daughter said something along the same lines: It’s a Christmas MIRACLE!!!
I think at that time, indoor shutters were like storm windows to keep the cold out.
According to the author…
This is a POEM! You want a bloody PHOTOGRAPHER, mate!
