Geeky Nerd

The Catholic Christmas will be over by the time this post is released but there is still New year and Chinese New Year, Lantern Rite for Genshin fans, so plenty of time to enjoy the winter festive season. This post will cover a few of such tales.

Klaus (2019)

This story follows a young man who was sent to a remote island to be a local postman. From the moment he came there, he realized that its a shady place, but without filling the quota he wouldn’t be taken away. Thus the boy tries to find a way to liven up the place to meet the post quota.

It’s the most recent cartoon in this post and it’s a great one. The story is a modern take on how the contemporary Christmas traditions have come to be. It’s also a great story about how some traditions can be destructive while other can make the world better.

A Christmas Carol (2009)

Another classic tale. This one has been written by Charles Dickens during Victorian times. It’s a tale of Ebenezer Scrooge who was too caught up on profit, he forgot what life was truly about. Thus, his deceased friend and three christmas spirits decide to remind Scrooge about how wonderful life outside his desk is.

It’s a simple story about how greed can cloud human’s mind and how it’s in everyone’s ability to change if only one so desires. This animated adaptation is stunning in visuals and rich in symbolism. I heartwarming tale that inspires and gives hope for the future.

The Nutcracker (1973)

It’s impossible to talk about Winter holidays and not mention a Nutcracker film. It’s story circles around a prince who was cursed by a rat queen to turn into a nutcracker. Some time passes and the nutcracker is in the protagonist’s house (although in this adaptation she is just a servant there) where she helps him drive the rats away and return his humanity back.

The cartoon is short an has no words, so language will not be a barrier to understand it. The best part of the cartoon is the music. It uses Tchaikovsy’s music from the Nutcracker ballet and serves as a nice adaptation to a great tale.

Tokyo Godfathers (2003)

A rare find – an anime Christmas tale. A story of how three bums find a child in trash on Christmas Eve and try their best to find its parents to return the baby back to them. Their adventures are filled with drama and comedy and uniting around the lost child really helps this ragtag group sort their own personal issues as all of them had their own reasons to be on the street in the first place.

The film is filled with both comedy and somber realism but the balance is great and together they create a rare combination of a magical tale that is perfect for Christmas. The atmosphere may not be as festive as in the western Christmas tales but it doesn’t make it anyhow worse. A good film is always a good film and this one reminds of the importance of family and the loved ones like no other.

Honourable Mentions

• The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993) – a Halloween-Christmas hybrid but a nice one nonetheless. Also a great picture that shows where obsessions may lead.
• The Night Before Christmas (1951) – a classic tale by Gogol in animated form. The only reason I decided not to talk in extend about it is for political reasons, but not mention it is impossible.
• The Snow Queen (1957) – another winter classic based on a fairytale by Christian Anderson. It shows that the warmth of love can melt any ice.
• Rise of the Guardians (2012) – A very nice addition to Christmas classics. A modern blockbuster type of a tale with traditional English heroes like Sant Claus, Easter bunny and the Tooth Fairy.
• Arthur Christmas (2011) – A fresh way of looking at the meaning of gifts we give and a good reminder of the core of Christmas celebration.
• The Polar Express (2004) – Some may not like it’s animation style but the thing I love the most about it is the songs. They help believe in miracles not only on Christmas.
• How the Grinch Stole Christmas (1966) – There isn’t much for me to say here, it’s a nice tale and the best adaptation of it.

All in all, there are many great cartoons to watch for this Christmas season. Alas, I had little time to investigate the question before publishing this post. I wished to find cartoons all over the world about their winter celebrations, so till next year, I guess. Literally. The next post I will write will already be the next year.

If you wish to share some of your favourite winter classics, please do so in the comments below. they are open for everyone. have a nice day. Happy New year!