December in the 80's was a magical time of year to be a kid. Not only did we get all the fantastic toys for Christmas, but every year, throughout the holiday season, the television would segue from regularly scheduled programing to air animated holiday specials. They'd come on just late enough that it could be a family event, but early enough that we'd get to enjoy it just before bedtime.
Each half hour block was special. Perfectly crafted with just the right number of advertisements to remind us of all the toys on store shelves, the treats to be had from local restaurants and grocery stores, and all other manners of consumption in between. But at the heart of it was that cartoon which would come out of hiding just once a year, fill your eyes with wonder, bringing smiles, laughter, action, adventure, drama, but at the root of it, a classic holiday message of peace, giving, love, and joy.
It's become my own personal tradition each year to pull a holiday special off the DVD shelf each day to enjoy. It's a ritual which not only has become my way of counting down the twenty-four days of December leading up to my favorite holiday, but my way of reminding myself that no matter what's happening in the world, my day-to-day grind of work, life, health, trials, and tribulations, that for a moment, all of that can be put a side, and I can simply become a kid again, even if it's just at heart.
While I wish I could share the actual special with all of you, be it by inviting you all to my home to join me in front of the fireplace with a bowl of popcorn, sadly, that's just not feasible. However, between sites such as Youtube, Arhcive.org, Dailymotion, and Vimeo, you can probably find them to watch. Of course, for those of you so bold, you could also pick them up on DVD yourself, something I would highly recommend. If not for yourself, for your children.
December kicks off for me with the 1982 classic, Ziggy's Gift.
Ziggy takes a job as a street Santa to raise money for the poor, accompanied by his faithful dog Fuzz. Surrounded by crooked Santas, sneaky thieves, and a suspicious cop, Ziggy remains honest and kind (while speaking no dialogue).
While it's not the most enthralling holiday special out there, what it has is charm, a spirit of kindness, and a heartwarming tale about the joy of giving instead of receiving. It's the perfect way to start off a twenty-four day marathon of holiday cartoon goodness.
Wanting to get a little more holiday joy, I pulled out a couple more DVD's and enjoyed some random Christmas themed episodes. Today's picks were:
- Raggedy's First Christmas from The Adventures of Raggedy Ann and Andy
- Merry Christmas Mr. Carroll from Alvin and the Chipmunks
- Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, the 1964 Rankin / Bass classic
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