by Donna Reynolds

Created on: January 04, 2009

As a child growing up in the 80s there was but one tradition that I remember always following and that was the Christmas programming. I could always count on my mom letting me stay up late to catch every single Christmas cartoon that aired on television. There was even one year that she bought a five pack of VHS tapes just so that she could record them all for me to watch later in the year if I wanted. And I always did, especially in the middle of summer.

The ones that stand out most in my memory are Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, Frosty the Snowman, Twas the Night Before Christmas, and the Charlie Brown Christmas Special.

If you were a child the very first lines of Rudolph, The Red-Nosed Reindeer pulled you in immediately and kept you wrapped in the warmth of the Christmas season. The movie was, of course, based on the song of the same name which was once again performed by the great Burl Ives for the production. He also voices Sam, the talking snowman, during which those first memorable lines are spoken:

"If I live to be 100, I'll never forget that big snow storm a couple of years ago. The weather closed in and, well you might not believe it, but the world almost missed Christmas. Oh, excuse me, call me Sam. What's the matter? Haven't you ever seen a talking snowman before?"

I remember thinking 'I want my snowman to talk to me and scoot across the snow and be cool like Sam'. And then I saw Frosty and my world was once again changed for life.

"Happy Birthday!" I'm sure every child remembers those famous first words being uttered by the lovable Frosty the Snowman. This was another movie based on a song by the same name. Young Karen and her friends build a snowman during recess and after much debate about what to call him, with suggestions ranging from Harold to Christopher Columbus to Oatmeal, the name Frosty is finally chosen and settled upon as they dance happily around him. The song cues in and the happy little bunny rabbit named Hocus Pocus jumps out the window under the cover of the magician's hat which seems to lack magic until...

"There must have been some magic in that old silk hat they found, for when they placed it on his head..."

And the rest was history.

Twas the Night Before Christmas is an often overlooked Christmas classic. It follows the original story of the same name but adds a twist. Just before Christmas everyone in a small town, both human and mouse, find their letters to Santa Claus have been returned. And as if that wasn't disappointing enough,

• 1
• 2
• Next Page >>