Countdown To Christmas With Classic Cartoon Holiday Specials - A Garfield Christmas Special

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 2nd had me pulling out my Garfield Holiday Celebrations DVD. While this disc contains three cartoons, I wasn't here for the Halloween or Thanksgiving ones. Nope. Instead, I skipped right ahead to the classic A Garfield Christmas Special.

Jon Arbuckle wakes up Garfield on Christmas Eve morning, telling him that they're going to the countryside to celebrate Christmas with the Arbuckle family on their farm. Garfield is annoyed that they always go to the farm and the family never comes to Jon's house. During his drive to his family's farm, Jon talks about Christmases he had when he was a boy, with his parents, brother Doc Boy, and Grandma, while Garfield listens with great cynicism.

Upon arriving, Grandma and Garfield quickly grow a special bond. While Jon, Garfield, and Odie take a walk, Grandma spikes Mom's sausage gravy with chili powder, bragging that her sausage gravy just won the Greene County Fair. Jon and Garfield return for dinner, while Odie works on something secretive and then sneaks back into the house. After dinner, they decorate the tree. Jon asks Garfield to put the star on, as no one else can reach the top of the tree. As the family sings Christmas songs, Garfield finds Grandma sitting alone; she reminisces about her late husband, recalls how he used to provide for her and the family, and laments that Christmas is when she misses him most.

Dad, with great reluctance, reads Binky, the Clown Who Saved Christmas to an eager Jon and Doc Boy. At night, Garfield notices Odie's suspicious activity and follows him to the barn, seeing Odie making something out of seemingly random implements. While there, Garfield stumbles upon a cache of letters that he concludes must be at least 50 years old.

On Christmas morning, just when it seems like all the presents have been opened, Garfield gives Grandma the letters he found in the barn. These letters were love notes written to Grandma by her husband from when they first met each other and married. Garfield also finds out that Odie has been busy making his ultimate Christmas gift: a homemade back scratcher. Garfield gladly thanks and embraces Odie for the gift he made. This is a rare glimpse at Garfield's softer side, as Garfield learns one of the true meanings of Christmas: "It's not the giving, it's not the getting, it's the loving! There, I said it. Now get outta here."

Garfield has always been one of my favorite cartoons, and this was a special I caught frequently as a kid during the holiday season. Growing up with it cemented a place in my nostalgic heart, and it remains a cartoon I always go to once a year to relive all of those fantastic memories. It's by far one of my favorites.

I love the comedic moments of Garfield, the secret mission of Odie to make a special present for his favorite orange cat, the childlike banter of John and his brother, and the heartwarming human touch of Grandma as she sits in her rocker longing for the arms of a husband long gone. It reminds me that it's okay to see the world through a child's eyes on Christmas day, but also to hold onto those closely, treasuring every minute with them.

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:

• For Whom the Bell Tolls, I'm Dreaming of A White Porsche Christmas, Ninety North, Zero West, Santa Schmanta, The Best Christmas Story Never Told, The Most Adequate Christmas Ever, and Yule. Tide. Repeat, all of which are Christmas themed episodes from the series, American Dad
• Cricket on the Hearth, the 1967 Rankin / Bass classic

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