'Twas the Night Before Christmas

This may quite possibly be the best Christmas special out there. It is just like Braveheart, except minus the warriors and plus Christmas, Mice and a Clock Maker. My sister and I are in our mid-twenties and we watch this movie multiple times a year. Who doesn't love singing mice? It is a heartfelt tale that will encourage children of all ages to believe in Santa. Claymation is great, but few things are as Christmas-y as animated mice and humans co-habituating. You will laugh, you will cry, you will eat all three flavors out of the holiday popcorn tub that your mom bought you. Stay up late to catch it, or hunt online to buy it, it is a must have for every Holiday movie collection.

I agree that this is a classic. I was born shortly before this cartoon was made, so it was a big part of my Christmas ritual growing up. The morale is great ("even a miracle needs a hand") and the songs are GOOD. They crept in my head at an early age and stayed there 'til this day. I see a lot of my adolescent, atheist, Ivy League self in the defiant Albert, who derides Santa as a myth, but also in Mr. Trundle, who works devotedly for something he believes in. I'm not talking literals here, people, but there's something nice about believing in something greater than yourself, or your known quantities.

This has got to be one of the most underrated, under-appreciated Christmas specials out there. Granted, the animation isn't fantastic, but the story and songs more than make up for that. I watch it every year and the songs "Give Your Heart a Try" and "Even a Miracle Needs a Hand" still make me tear up when I hear them. It's a simple message of following your heart instead of your head even when you should know better. It's not as well-known as Frosty or Rudolph (both of which I love, by the way), but given the choice among the three I'd watch "Twas the Night Before Christmas" every time. A great special not only for kids but for adults who want to feel like kids for 25 minutes or so.

I don't remember ever seeing this as a child and I grew up in that era. In fact, I was 6 years old. Yes, it's only 25 minutes long, but you think it would have came on during the Holidays every year. And back then, we didn't have the number of TV/Cable channels that we do now. It was only the major networks (ABC, NBC, CBS, PBS, etc). Still, I'm just now watching this. It's kind of cute for a 70's animation and it has a decent lesson in it, if you brake something, then you must try to find a way to fix it. This is a good one for young children. And who can forget the famous Christmas poem by Clement Moore? I used to know all the words, but I couldn't recite them as well last night when I watched it. Are you new to watching this one as well? See how well you remember the famous poem! Definitely a great CLASSIC for the Holidays!

This is one of my favorite Holiday cartoons. The music is catchy, the characters are involving, and the animation is fun. I find it a shame that this one isn't played much anymore as it tells a great story and is sure to be treasured by generations. I hope that this movie is brought back to holiday specials television, "cause even a miracle needs a hand."