Don't Become A Grinch With Age

There are a lot of things about Christmases that you get to enjoy as a child and you don’t as a grown up. Sending a letter to Santa and waiting for him to read it on TV; the excitement of going to sleep and the sheer joy of waking up before your parents to find mounds and mounds of presents under the tree.

Now? Not so much. But there are still a few holiday related things that have the ability to bring a sparkle to the eye and melt the heart of even the coldest Grinch. Warm eggnog (both the spiked and virgin varieties), the smell of pine trees, and ugly holiday sweaters immediately come to mind. But one would be remiss to ignore the most sacred of holiday traditions – the Christmas Special.

Here I've cobbled together my top five Christmas specials. Rent, stream, download – however you get your hands on a copy, the holiday just won't be the same if you don't watch.

Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer
Of all the versions hanging around, none can compare to the clay-mation creation featuring Burl Ives as the Snowman narrator. The coming-of-age epic follows the story of Rudolph and his elf buddy-cum-dentist Hermey as they try to find their way in an old-fashioned, opposed to change world. Who'd have thunk Christmas would be saved by a freak? The film is so popular, the franchise is still producing products – from greeting cards to mugs to stuffed toys – for new generations to enjoy.

A Charlie Brown Christmas
If you don't like Charlie Brown, you probably kick puppies. What I'm really trying to say is, people who don't appreciate the humour of Charles Shultz on a regular basis, can't help but love the Peanuts specials. Basically, the film explores Charlie's depression during the holiday season (who doesn't relate to that?) and how his friends go about trying to cheer him up. Another hold over from the 60s, it was one of CBS's most aired specials. Even if you haven't watched it (I'm shunning you) you recognize aspects of it – Charlie's sad little tree has been a hipster staple for years. Buy your own at an Urban Outfitters near you.

The Christmas Toy
This movie is probably the reason I still believe that my stuffed animals come to life when I leave the room (I'm afraid of what they talk about) Thank you for making me neurotic, Jim Hensen. It's the original Toy Story – Rugby the Tiger is worried he'll be usurped by a newer, flashier toy so he plans to rub it out. But what Rugby doesn't realize, if he's caught out of position – say, wrapped in a box and under the tree when he should be tucked away in the toy room - he'll freeze forever! You'll laugh, you'll cry... it's a good time had by all. Also great, A Muppet Family Christmas.  

It's A Wonderful Life
No matter how many years have passed since the release of this movie, the message remains true. It wouldn't be Christmas without George Bailey explaining why the bank is broke (“It's in Bill's house and...and Fred's house...”) and realizing that the world IS a better place with him in it. The little film that could, it was initially considered a box office flop (at the time of it's release, it brought it a mere $6.3 million, approximately twice the production cost) but has since been recognized by the American Film Institute's 100 best films ever made.

A Christmas Carol
Whether you stick with the old-school black and white version, get down with Michael Cane and Scrooge with the Muppets, or are in love with the latest version featuring the multitalented Jim Carey, Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol is, hands down, one of the best Christmas stories out there in all its many incarnations. It takes the intervention of three ghosts (Past, Present & Future) to break the icy facade of the penny-pinching miser, Scrooge. You know how it goes – Scrooge turns the heat on, shares a couple turkey's and Tiny Tim doesn't die.



Photo source.

Hilary Lauren Fox
		About the author:
		Sometimes she's a redhead, sometimes she's a blonde. Some days it's H&M, and on other days, it's Chanel. What ever the mood, she is a woman who is passionate about the arts, fashion and social media. Born in Toronto, Hilary Lauren Fox is an only child to artist parents - mom was an illustrator and pattern maker, dad was a painter.  Rather then studying the arts as her parents hoped for, Hilary opted for a degree in psychology with dreams of working in a clinical setting. But after graduating she realized that the apple doesn't fall far from the tree and that the arts was in her blood, applying her education within the art and fashion world.
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