The Two Best Christmas Specials of All
Over at Hugh Hewitt's site, Mary Katherine Ham links to this article, detailing how "A Charlie Brown Christmas" elicited trepidation on the part of those surrounding its creator, Charles "Sparky" Schultz.
How little they knew -- it has become an enduring Christmas classic, and will air tonight on ABC.
Another Christmas program that's too often overlooked -- and that hadn't been aired for years until ABC brought it back last Friday night -- is my childhood favorite: "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town". For some reason, it's ignored in favor of the infinitely inferior (though still entertaining) "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer."
The program teaches lessons about kindness, persistence and courage. And it answers all the routine questions that everyone needs to know about Santa -- How did he meet Mrs. Claus? Why is his name "Claus" and "Kris Kringle"? How do the reindeer fly? Best of all, it explains why Santa comes on Christmas Eve.
In the last few minutes of the program, we learn that Santa settled on Christmas Eve to bring joy and presents because it's "the holiest night of the year" -- and that the gifts he gives are emblematic of the greatest gift ever given: The gift of Jesus.
I've had a theory that it's been banned in recent years because (unlike "Rudolph") it's not entirely secular, and unlike "Charlie Brown," it didn't reach immediate iconic status.
Kudos to ABC for airing the two best Christmas specials of all: "Santa Claus is Coming to Town" and "Merry Christmas, Charlie Brown!"
How little they knew -- it has become an enduring Christmas classic, and will air tonight on ABC.
Another Christmas program that's too often overlooked -- and that hadn't been aired for years until ABC brought it back last Friday night -- is my childhood favorite: "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town". For some reason, it's ignored in favor of the infinitely inferior (though still entertaining) "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer."
The program teaches lessons about kindness, persistence and courage. And it answers all the routine questions that everyone needs to know about Santa -- How did he meet Mrs. Claus? Why is his name "Claus" and "Kris Kringle"? How do the reindeer fly? Best of all, it explains why Santa comes on Christmas Eve.
In the last few minutes of the program, we learn that Santa settled on Christmas Eve to bring joy and presents because it's "the holiest night of the year" -- and that the gifts he gives are emblematic of the greatest gift ever given: The gift of Jesus.
I've had a theory that it's been banned in recent years because (unlike "Rudolph") it's not entirely secular, and unlike "Charlie Brown," it didn't reach immediate iconic status.
Kudos to ABC for airing the two best Christmas specials of all: "Santa Claus is Coming to Town" and "Merry Christmas, Charlie Brown!"
posted by LadybugUSA at 5:40 PM
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