Christmas Classics Your Children Shouldn't Miss

The day after Thanksgiving is the day my family always started decorating for Christmas. We would put the Christmas music on in the background and hang up our stockings, and bring up all the ornaments and random counter top decorations from the cellar. I'm from Maine, so alot of times we already had snow to put us in a great holiday mood.

Now that I'm 26 and have a husband and an almost 3 year old son, I often feel nostalgic for the 'good old days' of past Christmases. I miss being the one being surprised on Christmas morning by the stockings filled to the brim and the secret presents that all of a sudden appeared under the tree from Santa. Now I am Santa and I stuff the stockings. I wait until my son is asleep and silently place the presents under the tree. It's a wonderful feeling watching his excitement the next morning.

One of the nostalgic traditions that I myself have stared, is watching some of my old favorite Classic Christmas movies with my son and my husband. Some of these movies even make me a little bit sad. I guess it makes me think of how fast the years have gone by since I was a child myself. There are many Christmas movies that play every year. Including "Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer", "Frosty the snowman" and "A Charlie Brown Christmas" but here are a few that are a little more obscure. You don't see them playing that much (if at all) anymore. These are the classics of my childhood. Some are only available on DVD now and are no longer shown on TV. The first one always brings tears to my eyes.

"Christmas Eve On Sesame Street" premiered on PBS in 1978. Oscar the grouch has Big Bird very worried after he explains to him there is no way that a fat Santa can fit down a skinny chimney like the ones on Sesame Street. This causes Big Bird and his friend Patty to seek out ways to help Santa fit his chubby body down those chimneys. In the meantime, Bert and Ernie have their own version of the "Gift of the Magi" going on when they have no money to buy each other presents, so they trade their most prize possessions for each others gifts. Filled with heartwarming Sesame Street Christmas Music sung by Bob and Maria and the rest of the gang, as well as a classic ice skating scene, this movie is a must see.

"A Muppet Family Christmas" premiered in the year 1987 and was known to play on Nickelodeon, as well as the Disney Channel. Fozzie's mother is all ready to go on a fabulous Christmas Vacation to a warmer climate. Imagine her surprise when she answers her door and finds her son Fozzie and all his Muppet friends stopping by to say "Surprise, were staying for Christmas!". She cancels her plans and spends alot of time looking for beds for all of them to sleep.

Sesame Street Characters drop by for some caroling and end up staying as well! Kermit and his nephew Robin do some exploring around the house and find a Fraggle hole. Meanwhile, Doc and Sprocket show up. Doc is a little miffed as he had planned on renting Fozzie's moms place for the holidays. The whole gang is there. Except poor Miss Piggy who is caught in a snow storm. Will she make it in time?

"Mickey's Christmas Carol" premiered 1983. Scrooge Mcduck is Ebenezer Scrooge in this Disney retelling of the classic Charles Dickens novel. Goofy is Jacob Marley and Mickey Mouse is Bob Cratchet.

"Emmit Otter's Jug band Christmas" premiered in 1977 and often played on Nickelodeon. Emmit Otter and His Ma are very poor. Emmit does odd jobs around the neighborhood while his Ma washes other creature's laundry and delivers it to them by small boat. They can never seem to break even. One day close to Christmas, they hear of a talent contest. First prize is $50. Emmit puts a hole in his Ma's washtub and forms a jug band, hoping to win first prize so he can buy his Ma the piano she has always wanted. Emmit's Ma sews herself a new dress and hopes her singing voice will win her the prize money so she can buy Emmit a guitar. The River bottom Nightmare gang is up to no good and are steep competition. Who will win?

"Santa Claus" premiered in 1985. The beginning of this movie explains a little history behind how Santa Claus came to be, and why we have the traditions for Christmas that we do. Fast forward to a later time, and Santa's head elf decides to quit working for Satan and produce his own toys, as Santa prefers tradition over high tech weirdness. The head elf falls in with an evil toymaker who wants to eliminate Santa Claus and any memory of him that exhists.

"The Magic Snowman" premiered in 1987. A boy named Jamie builds a snowman who is able to talk to him. The snowman gives him advice on where the best fishing spots are so that his family can increase their poor income. Mr Lumi Ukko, the Snowman, gives him valuable life advice and teaches him lessons to live by. When winter comes to an end, the snowman must move on.

These are all great movies and worth a see. If you get tired of watching "A Christmas Story" for 24 hours straight on TNT, pop one of these movies in to break up the monotony.