12 Nights of Must-Watch Holiday Movies: Santa Claus Is Coming To Town

The Movie:

It really wouldn't be Christmas without a Rankin/Bass stop-motion Christmas special, would it?  While Rudolph and the Island of Misfit Toys gets a lot of the fanfare I would venture to say that Santa Claus Is Coming to Town is the real Rankin/Bass that should be on your must-watch lists this season (nothing against Rudolph, I like Rudolph!)

This is an all-encompassing tale of how Santa Claus came to be as told by a Fred Astaire (swoon) puppet mailman who is answering children's letters with questions about Santa.  You follow along as an orphaned baby Chris is adopted by funny toymaker elves (The Kringles) and how he brings toys to the solemn children of Somber Town.  You find out how he met Mrs. Clause and how and why he fills stockings.

Why It's A Must Watch:

Learn everything you need to know about Santa Clause in less than an hour!  The music is fun and catchy (with the exception of a psychedelic solo by Jessica aka Mrs. Clause :P haha), the story is sweet and heartwarming.  And also, there's Fred Astaire :)

My Rating:

Family Friendly!  There is a Winter Warlock character that can be slightly scary for little little ones at the beginning, although Chris shows kindness to him and quickly melts his icy heart leaving him insanely caring and nice and with only magic left to make Reindeer fly :)

Your Movie Night:

Make some Santa-themed snacks to enjoy during the movie:

   

Santa Berries Via Pinterest                Santa Party Mix via Cookies & Cups    Santa Crackers via Martha Stewart

Then, when your movie's over sit down with a pen and paper and write your own letters to Santa.  You can even drop them off at a giant red mailbox at Macy's.  USPS also offers a service where they will postmark and re-mail a letter you've prepared from the North Pole if you want to create a response letter for your child from Santa.  More Info Here.

Click the picture below for the other posts in this series: