Sunday, November 29, 2009

Bringing Your Childhood Christmas Memories To Your Kids

*Contest is now closed. Thanks for playing!*

I loved Christmastime as a kid. I'd help my mom decorate the tree, we'd listen to Christmas music and bake cookies, and in the evenings I'd sit in front of the TV and watch the old Christmas classics. My favorite was Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, although I also really liked Frosty the Snowman. The cartoons each had simple messages about Christmas spirit and being good to others, and each featured catchy tunes that we'd sing on the playground at school the next day.

Now that I have kids of my own, I miss those old Christmas specials. I want my girls to enjoy the same timeless stories that I grew up watching, even if the animation isn't up to the same standards as today and the language is a little different. C'mon, when's the last time you heard someone call a child a Junior Citizen?

I know many of these specials are still shown on TV, but I always have the worst luck in remembering when they're on. Thankfully, I'll no longer have to watch and wait with the release of The Original Christmas Classics Limited Keepsake Edition DVD set. The set features seven classic Rankin/Bass holiday specials, including Frosty the Snowman, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, Santa Claus is Comin' to Town and The Little Drummer Boy.

All have been digitally remastered, although remember that these were originally made in 1969, and so the lips might not always match the voices. But the audio is clear as you listen to Burl Ives singing "Holly, Jolly Christmas" or the children sing "Frosty, the Snowman." Also included is a bonus audio CD of holiday music.

My girls have already watched most of the specials on this DVD set, and I enjoy seeing them fall in love with the same characters I first met over 25 years ago. I'm hoping this will be a holiday tradition we'll carry on in the years to come, also.

Win A Copy!

I'm also giving away a copy of The Original Christmas Classics Limited Keepsake Edition DVD set to one lucky reader! To enter, leave a comment below sharing your favorite childhood holiday memory. One entry per person, and be sure to leave a valid e-mail address in your comment if your don't have one enabled in your Blogger profile.

Entries will be accepted until Thursday, December 3 at 11:59pm EST. One winner will be selected at random (using random.org) to receive one copy of The Original Christmas Classics Limited Keepsake Edition DVD set. Winner has three days to respond once contacted or another winner will be chosen. Contest open to residents of the U.S. or those with a valid U.S. mailing address.

Good luck!

Full disclosure: I received one complimentary copy of this DVD set for review. No further compensation was provided, and no promise of a positive review was given. All opinions are my own.

79 comments:

Unknown said...

My favorite Christmas memory was when we spent Christmas at my grandmother's house. We didn't get to see her very often. Thanks for the giveaway!

abfantom said...

My favorite Christmas memory is when I got the bicycle that I was dying for.

abfantom at yahoo dot com

peg42 said...

My favorite is the year that a friend of my Dad's dressed up as Santa and on Christmas morning he came to the house with a little toy poodle puppy for me. I was wanting a dog for so long and this dog (I named her Holly) was my buddy for many years.
Thanks so much.

Amanda said...

My favorite Christmas memory was the year when we had an ice storm and no power the whole week of Christmas. We all camped in our living room with the fireplace going all night. We cooked food on a kerosene heater and thankfully had a generator so we could do other things around the house, but I will never forget that year! It sucked because it was so cold, but we had so much fun!!!

tallblonde53085 (at) yahoo

Darcie K. said...

My favorite Christmas memory was when we went caroling around the neighborhood.
dmkayes@gmail.com

Anonymous said...

My favorite Christmas memory is baking CHristmas cookies for santa with my mom!
Thank you for the giveaway :)
hurdler4eva(at)gmail(dot)com

Anonymous said...

Hi! Mine was the year I think I was 5 years old. We had a huge snowstorm that year. My mother took pictures of me in the snow. We had to go to the convenience store on Christmas day and I got to ride in a sled for some milk. I never saw that huge of a snowstorm again. Great giveaway! :)

connie_bryant@hotmail.com

Alison said...

I've always loved watching "the christmas story" with my family!

AmandaK said...

My favorite memory is every year going out and looking at Christmas light displays. It makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside and full of the Christmas spirit.

orchestratenoise0726[at]yahoo[dot]com

Brn2lisn said...

My favorite memory is when my Dad did the shopping for Christmas for us kids. Being all girls - he didn't have a clue as to what to get us -- we ended up with all boy toys. BUT it was the best Christmas ever - just loved it

brn2lisn(at)gmail(dot)com

Veronica said...

My favorite Christmas memory is being around our Christmas tree as a child with my sister and parents just enjoying opening up presents and seeing everyone smiling. Thanks for a great giveaway :)

aajacques said...

My favorite holidya memory is getting the decorations out when I was a kid. They all had to go in the same spot every year.

McKim said...

My favorite holiday memory is on Christmas Eve when my sister and I would go to bed. We would have such a hard time going to sleep and would giggle under the covers.

5webs said...

My favorite childhood holiday memory was opening up my stocking on Christmas morning. My mom usually had two for me! It is my favorite adult holiday memory also.
Alicia Webster
5webs@comcast.net

Mami2jcn said...

My favorite holiday memory was spending Christmas in Colombia with my mom's family, singing Christmas songs in Spanish, and watching the firecrackers in the street.

mami2jcn at gmail dot com

Leslie said...

My favorite childhood holiday memory is the Christmas I was seven and came down to the living room Christmas morning to find a doll house as big as the coffee table with my name on it.

turboterp said...

No question, it's the year there was an actual LIVE PUPPY underneath our Christmas tree, a sweet little beagle with a big red bow tied around his neck! Nothing ever topped that memory.
Thank you!

Tracey said...

I remember my dad sending my 5 year old brother into his bedroom to get a pair of shoes. When my brother returned with the shoes, my dad asked him if he saw anything unusual in the bedroom. My brother said no. He totally DID NOT SEE the bicycle sitting there big as life.
traymona[at]aol.com

Unknown said...

My favorite childhood memory is an ongoing one. My mom and I sit down and watch Little Women every year. It's a permanent addition to our TiVo every holiday season! krowland dot sundt at gmail dot com.

Anonymous said...

Nana ( Great Grandmother) made hermits with citron, nuts and dried currents, every Christmas: Never tasted better cookie-bars since: She died when I was 10. I'm 48 now, but I can still remember what they tasted like.writer61@yahoo.com

Cat@3KidsandUs said...

My favorite holiday memory happens every single year. As a family we've always watched the entire 24 hours of A Christmas Story on TBS.
3kidsnus@gmail.com

mogrill said...

Mine was the year I got my cabbage patch kid. I didnt think I would get one. It was magical. Thanks for the chance.
mogrill@comcast.net

Stephanie said...

My grandma making tamales from scratch every christmas eve. She used to start weeks ahead to time and people would drive for miles just to eat them. Such happy times.
tvollowitz at aol dot com

laura said...

One year, just as I was old enough to start doubting the existence of Santa, I remember trying to fall asleep Christmas Eve night, and saw a red light flash into my window. It was probably just a neighbor's car backing up, but I thought it must have been the light from Rudolph's nose and quickly forced myself to sleep, so as not to be caught awake by Santa and miss out.

I let my four year old son stay up to watch the Peanuts Thanksgiving special last week. He was cracking up at Snoopy juggling chairs and dishing out jelly beans and popcorn for Thanksgiving. It is so much fun to share these with him, and to make new holiday memories as well.

Laura
lmspurcell at gmail dot com

Jeremy said...

When I was a kid we were pretty poor, and this particular Christmas my mom told us kids we probably would only have the gift of each other. We were on our way home from visiting some friends, and as we got near our home I could swear I heard sleigh bells. When we got to the door, some kind-hearted soul had left a bag of gifts and a box full of groceries.

Jill Myrick (jsc123) said...

My favorite holiday memory is on Christmas morning at the age of eight.
I had asked santa for a bike of my own. But when I got up it wasn't there. Thinking that he just couldn't do it this year I went about opening my other gift and enjoying Christmas.
An hour later I went downstairs to feed our cat and down there was the most gorgeous red bike that I had ever seen !

Thank you so much for the chance to win.

jweezie43[at]aol[dot]com

Tim-O-Tee said...

My favorite memory was, once I was old enough to know there wasn't a Santa Claus, I help keep the dream alive for my two younger sisters

katzkids by Kathy D. said...

My favorite Christmas memory is of my mom,dad,brothers,sisters and me going to my grandparents house for Christmas.We played with our cousins,eat great food,sang Christmas songs and opened presents.We only saw some of our extended family every 4 or 5 years,so it was so much fun.
Thanks for the giveaway:)
kats7960@gmail.com

ky2here said...

I didn't realize it at the time but my favorite memory was being crammed into grandma's country living room with her coal burning furnace cranked up full blast.

AEKZ2 said...

My favorite memory is getting a pink, soft doll that I had wanted very badly.

Linda said...

My favorite memory was helping Mom make Christmas cut out cookies and we got to decorate them!
lgrieser(at)sbcglobal(dot)net

Tarah said...

My favorite memories were always of when I was younger and the magic of Christmas was there in full force Christmas morning. I think it was the one day a year my siblings and I all got along. Whomever got up first woke the rest of us up - we would creep into the living room and stare at the tree in awe. That glow from the lights and the shine on the wrapped gifts underneath where Santa had just been. It's like a priceless treasure!

Tarah
tarah716[at]ymail.com

Nicole D. said...

My favorite childhood holiday memory is finding a new puppy under our Christmas Tree when I was 5. That was my first dog, and I loved her so much! :)

redzoomer88 said...

Spending time with my Grandmother who let me listen to Alvin and the chipmunks record over and over and over and over and....lol

Sarah said...

My favorite memory was finding a saddle under the tree (and a horse out in the country to go with it).

terri142 said...

My favorite Christmas memories are of baking Christmas cookies with my mom and my grandma.

Deborah Wellenstein said...

I loved Christmas at my grandmother's-all of our aunts and uncles and cousins were there, too. Good times! Thanks!

mickeyfan said...

One year, I brought home chickenpox. By Christmas day, all 4 of us had them, even the 8mo old!
Santa came to visit us and I remember my mom going to the door and being shocked to see him there. Seems she knew he'd never had the pox and wouldn't let him in! Let us go to the door and talk to him thru the storm door.

Lala77 said...

I remember getting up early when I was little...my big sis (9 years older) and we were allowed to go through our stocking before our parents woke up but nothing else. It really built the anticipation.

bookloon@gmail.com

JaniceJ said...

My favorite Christmas memory is
watching it snow on Christmas Eve
and just knowing now, Santa would
come.

heaventrees said...

One of my favorite memories is watching some of these very movies/specials as a kid with my cousins. We especially loved Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer.

Carol EL said...

Waking up with my brother's at 5am Christmas morning and playing with our toys before mom and dad were up. jelly15301@gmail.com

erma said...

My fav memory is waking up early and seeing all the presents under the tree.
erma.hurtt@sbcglobal.net

denyse said...

When I was younger I REALLY wanted a new pair of roller skates with Zinger wheels. Well Santa brought them and I was shaking and so excited!

denyse_g@hotmail.com

ehhogan said...

My favorite childhood memory is going to my grandmother's house on Christmas Eve, going to church and back to her house for presents and food


ehhogan at bellsouth.net

Brandi said...

I remember the year we went to Disneyworld for Christmas and we ate Christmas dinner at a truck stop!! It was gross, but the memories are SO sweet!

Sahm Lee said...

Playing checkers with my dad in front of the fireplace on Christmas Eve. Thanks for the contest!
airalynn@gmail.com

Ellie Wright said...

When I was 6 my older brother and I camped out in the family car on Christmas Eve so we could catch Santa when he arrived. We both fell asleep before midnight and our patrents carried us in to bed.

eswright18 at gmail dot com

Unknown said...

I got the job of helping mom wrap the presents- even my own that were in boxes without labels of what they were- initials were in a corner so I knew who to make the tags to.

Nickolay said...

I remember always watching Charlie Brown Christmas with my grandpa on Christmas Eve. I looked forward to it every year

jason(at)allworldautomotive(dot)com

Anonymous said...

My favorite memory is spending time with all the cousins and grandparents. Now that everyone is grown up we don't see each other as often.

shawnac68@hotmail.com

Anonymous said...

My Mom would let me and my brother decorate the Christmas Spritz cookies with sprinkles!

theyyyguy@yahoo.com

dispatcher_kristy said...

One of my newest favorite Christmas memories was taking a family picture with santa... was a lot of fun


dispatcher_kristy@Hotmail.com

Unknown said...

My Papaw used to cook a huge Christmas feast. He would cook a turkey, a huge ham and about every side you can think of. My Grandma was in charge of the pies. She would make pumpkin, pecan and chocolate. There would also be several kinds of candy. Papaw would insist on serving the meat to everyone and he always gave me way too much. I would slip part of it to the dog. Papaw would notice the dog under my feet and wonder whet was up with the dog and he would make Andy leave the room. Andy would sneak back under my chair when he thought Papaw didn't notice. :) When Andy finally went to doggy Heaven, I was forced to eat all of my food.

hafner611{AT}gmail{DOT}com

Rebecca L said...

My favorite Christmas memory is of my mom bringing us to the mall, giving us money from her own pocket and sending us off to buy her and dad xmas presents from us. I always had fun picking out their gifts and watching them open it and appreciating it despite the fact that they paid for it.

Anonymous said...

baking cookies with my mom. k2e2t2@hotmail.com

Molly K said...

My favorite christmas memory is after church on x-mas eve we would drive around and look at all the christmas lights.

mail4rosey said...

The candle light ceremony on Christmas Eve is my favorite childhood memory. I thought it was a really big deal to hold a lit candle, and I knew that it meant the next day was Christmas.

msurosey@yahoo.com

ShesAnAngel said...

Honestly, my fave childhood memory is watching these specials!!! I was so excited each year when it was time to watch Rudolph and Frosty again :D I still sing these songs sometimes and I remember the words!

Justine417@comcast.net

ReggieMann said...

My favorite childhood holiday memory is the smell of a live Christmas Tree in the house. It smells so nice. I have not had a live tree in years.

ReggieM1961 (at) gmail (dot) com

Sheila Hickmon said...

My favorite holiday memory was when my grandma had a family friend dress up as Santa and bring the gift I had been begging for 2 days early!
Thanks!
hawkgirl_16 {at} hotmail {dot} com

cloud10277 said...

My favorite memory is My grandfather dressing up as santa clause every year at our family christmas party!

cloud10277@hotmail.com

Anonymous said...

Christmas didnt feel like Christmas until these favorite shows came on tv. thank you for the fabulous memories!
michelles_sweeps@yahoo.com

plhill2000 said...

One of my favorite memories is about baking Christmas goodies with my mother-especially as she has now passed on. I keep up the tradition with my own daughters.

Erica C. said...

I always enjoyed our family ice skating trips during the holiday. It was so much fun!

susan1215 said...

We kids would always try to guess what wrapped presents were under the tree.

Pamela S said...

My favorite memory is one year our church had a nativity play, and I got to play the angel and my mother made me a beautiful angel costume with halo, etc. I loved it. Thanks so much! pamelashockley(AT)netscape(DOT)net

slehan said...

My favorite memory is how fun it was on Christmas eve to get to choose one package from under the tree to open. Thanks for the contest.

Leslie S. said...

My favorite childhood memory was all the lights.My family would drive around our town on Christmas Eve. looking at all the lights.I now do the same thing with my own kids.Thanks!

Lisa Nelsen-Woods said...

My favorite holiday memory is that the entire dorm STOPPED studying for finals to watch "A Year Without a Santa Claus." The entire place was quiet except that you could hear groups of people in rooms singing the Heat Miser/Snow Miser song during the show.

Kathy P said...

i remember my mom always baking cream puffs every christmas eve :)

sweetsue said...

My favorite Christmas memory was when it snowed for many days when I was about 9. Me and my sister got new sleds for Christmas and had a wonderful time!
smchester at gmail dot com

susansmoaks said...

the first Christmas with my husband was the best Christmas ever

Anonymous said...

My favorite holiday memory was seeing Santa at my grandmas house.

samsakara@twcny.rr.com

Unknown said...

My favorite memory is having to wait until 5 am to get up to see if Santa had come yet! My sis and I didn't sleep all night and just stared at the clock. My dad worked shift work so my mom made us wait until 5. When 5 hit, we ran to the living room and then ran and woke everyone up! It was so much fun! Thanks!

sherri419 at gmail dot com

dvice12 said...

My favorite memory is getting together with family for holiday dinners

Unknown said...

My favorite chilhood holiday memory is racing downstairs at Christmas to see whar Santa had left inder the tree. garrettsambo@aol.com

/\Heather/\ said...

It was snowing outside and it was Christmas Day! My mom went outside and got me and my sister big chunks of snow and covered it with warm maple syrup. So good, and an example of how special my mom still is.

cman said...

Making Christmas cookies with my kids :)