This Christmas program is not going to please many people because it lacks a huge WOW FACTOR in terms of visuals. What it does so wonderfully is that it lets you use your imagination. Mabel Beaton uses puppets in this program to great effect. The story is pace beautifully. The film is made "WITH GREAT LOVE" which is apparent.The way this program was made and produced I am sure was the inspiration for the well know "Rankin-Bass" Christmas Specials. If you have kids watch this with them during the holidays. It may play on some PBS stations but it is however worth buying. Trust me it is GREAT.

This special was made years before I was born. Watching Christmas Theme Programming daily (From August-December) I found this Television Program produced in 1952 a delight. There have been many advancements in Animation since this was produced however there is something so elegant about seeing a story told with marionettes. In this special we get 2 stories told in just 30 minutes. The first is "The Night Before Christmas" and the 2nd is "The Nativity" Both specials are made with TLC and the makers of this film made this for children but its so well done that adults will love this as well! This Special would be perfect to watch on Christmas Eve before your children go to bed! This has a special "MAGIC" to it. Its almost like a storybook come to life. BUY IT!

Growing up in Havertown,Pa in the 50's + 60's, this Christmas special was much anticipated. I do not recall it playing more than once per season and we anxiously waited for it's showing.In the 60's and 70's many animated Christmas shows were aired and this one was forgotten.I was past 40 when I finally saw it again and was shocked to see it was in color!!! What a wonderful taste of my childhood this has given me.Enjoy it's simplicity. I have purchased several copies on DVD and sent them to family and friends. If you know of anyone from the Philadelphia area in their 50's , they would probably love this as a gift.They are not expensive and are,of course, inexpensive to send by first class mail.Now I'm showing it to my grandchildren.Time marches on,Merry Christmas.

Growing up in Philadelphia in the '50s this was on TV every night for at least a week prior to Christmas. Somehow my sister and brothers and I never got tired of it. Even back then we could see that it was pretty primitive - you could almost see the hand making the camels 'walk' as they carried the Wise Men to Bethlehem. That was part of the charm, I think.For the longest time it disappeared from the screen, and as I married and had children of my own I regretted that they would not be able to see it and enjoy it as I had. Then somehow our local PBS affiliate got ahold of it and started playing it during pledge drives at Christmas and offering it as an incentive to contribute a donation. That's how I got my copy. My kids were all under ten at the time and I showed it to them. After viewing it a time or two they labeled it as old fashioned and weren't interested in seeing it after that. I was somewhat disappointed, but came to the conclusion that the MTV / Nintendo generation couldn't appreciate it for what it was.The funny thing is, last evening I was watching TV with my middle daughter - now 19 - and a notorious channel changer, and SHE had the remote. This usually means seeing maybe 5% of 20 programs instead of one whole one. Well, she switched and found The Spirit of Christmas during the Nativity segment, stopped, and we both watched it to the end - no interruptions! I didn't say anything to her about it, but it made me happy to think that maybe it reminded her of when SHE was little. I hope so.The last thing that gets me is the unnamed host of the show with his inch wide necktie and dark suit saying that this was a gift from 'your phone company'. Pray, whatever phone company is that? Have you seen anything from MCI, Sprint, or Verizon that doesn't have an underlying "buy from me" subliminal message? No? Didn't think so! Don't hold your breath! I should know - I work for one of these guys.