FLASHBACK sometime after 1965

"hark the herald angels sing...."
i can't really tell you how old i was the very first time i watched "a charlie brown christmas", i can just tell you i have watched it every single year since. it just cannot be christmas without it. you can watch all the rudolph and frosty and grinch and shrek you want...if you haven't watched charlie brown, you don't really know what christmas is all about. 47 years after it originally aired, i still get teary~eyed when linus takes that stage and says "and there were, in the same country, shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. and lo, the angel of the lord came upon them, and the glory of the lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. and the angel said unto them, 'fear not: for behold, i bring unto you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. for unto you is born this day in the city of david a savior, which is christ the lord. and this shall be a sign unto you; ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.' and suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising god, and saying, 'glory to god in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.' that's what christmas is all about, charlie brown." 
*a few things to note next time you watch "charlie brown christmas", and the bk knows because i point them out every year: linus never ever lets go of his security blanket, EXCEPT at the very moment he says "fear not: for behold, i bring you good tidings of great joy"; lucy always calls charlie brown by his full name, EXCEPT right before her rant about christmas being a commercial racket...she just calls him charlie then; pay attention when they are singing "hark the herald angels sing"...#1~all the characters take deep breaths while singing and #2~dirt flies every time pig pen takes a deep breath.

FLASH FORWARD today
i still watch "charlie brown christmas"...and still point out everything i notice even if the bk heard it last year...and the year before that...and the year before that...and the year before that, but i have added a slew of must~watches. so, what other specials and movies make my holiday perfect, you ask? here's my top 10 (in no particular order):

1. a christmas carol (1938): you can catch it on turner classic movies and it will always be my very favorite. it's, obviously, black and white, and a little cheesy. but i dare you not to get choked up when black and white tiny tim says "god bless us, everyone".
2. it's a wonderful life (1946): i know...i know...it makes everybody's list at christmas, but, did you know that it was a flop when it was originally released?
3. a christmas story (1983): everybody loves this movie. EVERYBODY. LOVES. this movie. fun fact? ralphie says he wants a red ryder bb gun 28 times.
4. elf (2003): "the best way to spread christmas cheer is singing loud for all to hear". and that's all i have to say about that.
5. scrooged (1988): because nothing says "christmas" like bill murray acting like an a$$ and being terrorized by buster poindexter, carol kane, and bobcat goldthwait.
6. home alone  and home alone 2 (1990 and 1992): because macauley culkin is super cute and joe pesci is hilarious.
7. the santa clause movies (1994, 2002, 2006): don't judge me...
8. miracle on 34th street (1947): watch the original...the santa is better. trust me. 
9. christmas vacation (1989): clark griswold reminds me of my dad...he tries to make everything, from vacations to christmas, perfect. and my dad takes great pride in his holiday decorations. 
10. nightmare before christmas (1993): tim burton. that is all. 

of course, i will be watching all of the specials. rudolph the red~nosed reindeer. frosty the snowman. and anything that comes on abc family's 25 days of christmas...bring some popcorn (i'll provide the hot chocolate) and join me?