Christmas Specials: No, Not The Ones At Walmart. The Animated Ones

When I was in first grade, I assumed I was a Christian, because I lived in the United States. You can understand my confusion. This was before I really knew what being a Christian meant. My parents took me to church for a few weeks, presumably to humor me. Of course, then I got my first loose tooth after one of the services and lost all interest in church.

Nevertheless, around this time of year, I am rarely happier than I am right now, with a glass of egg nog, a lit-up, heavily decorated tree, and A Charlie Brown Christmas on DVD.

There is something beautiful about the classic animated specials, regardless of your personal religious bent or lack thereof. The stories, of course, are rooted in the same poetry that suffuses the best Christmas music--"Silent Night" is one of my favorite songs ever. Beyond the content, which speaks to the ability of humanity to aspire to virtues of sacrifice, forgiveness, love, and higher meaning, there is something warm and reassuring about the bright colors and harmless and heartwarming stories of shows like Charlie Brown or Mickey's Christmas Carol.

Yes, it's true that the specials are sponsored by "big eastern syndicates", as Lucy hints to Charlie Brown. Still, they're fun, and that's the important thing.

I would say my all-time favorite is an easy pick: A Charlie Brown Christmas.

After that, I guess I would pick: Mickey's Christmas Carol; the Garfield Christmas special which is never on anymore; the Winnie the Pooh special; and Charlie Brown again.

Please note that I very specifically excluded the Star Wars Holiday Special from the list. Granted, it is only partially animated, but that's how much I wish to disavow that show.

What are your favorite animated specials, and why?

Holidays Are Here Again

As Decembers go, mine has been quite emblematic. We watched A Charlie Brown Christmas last night, while I drank egg nog. We've decorated a tree, and enjoyed a fire in the fireplace--albeit gas-powered--while I drank egg nog. We have drunk a lot of egg nog, while I drank egg nog.

This has always been one of my favorite times of year. Not because I'm religious, mind you: religion and I mix about as well as sauerkraut and hot chocolate, if the sauerkraut were poisonous and tended to spontaneously combust in the presence of chocolate. No, it has been a favorite time of year because of the routines and the rituals.

Every year on Christmas Eve, Dad and Rosie and I would drive around town to see the Christmas lights all over town while Mom created a treasure hunt for the two gifts we would open that night. The treasure hunt was made up of clever clues that we had to unriddle, each one leading to the location of the next clue. And of course, there was the annual reading of How The Grinch Stole Christmas, reading the actual Dr. Seuss storybook, all red and green and sparkly, with rich and vibrant illustrations.

And there was always the annual tree hunt, when assorted families gathered up Willow Creek Road at the home of the Goheens--Stephen Goheen is my dad's friend from college--and then we all set out in pickup trucks along the snowy, icy logging roads up to the top, armed with axes and saws, all set to cull a tree to bring inside for pagan celebrations to worship the approaching end of winter and turning of the year. Or, you know, Christmas celebrations, depending on what floated the individual's boat.

What are your favorite aspects/memories/rituals for this time of year, with or without egg nog?