The Countdown to Christmas begins in earnest with the family friendly special The Magic of Christmas at Disneyland!
This was a special released by Disney in 1992 that was available on VHS and sold exclusively at Disney parks, not in stores. Thanks to the magic of the 'Net, it's here for all Disney fans to enjoy.
So, enjoy!
There is no multi-site Christmas countdown that I'm aware of (if so, please let me know!), so I'm flying solo here. I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving and are ready to move on to the Most Wonderful Time of the Year.
To kick things off, I'd like to feature videos of some classic Christmas songs with new animation created by the music companies. There have been several of these the past couple of years, and they're a great way to put a fresh coat of paint on these songs which, while wonderful, do get stale thanks to overplay on radio stations and streaming services.
Enjoy! And welcome once again to the Countdown to Christmas!
Thanksgiving is almost here--the start of the holiday season! Most of you will likely tune in to Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City, but I prefer to watch the parade in my hometown of Philadelphia. Philly's parade is in fact the first and oldest Thanksgiving parade, starting in 1920 and sponsored by Gimbel's department store. The store closed in the '80s, but the parade lives on today.
Here is a stretch of the parade from 1934. It looks quite different from parades today!
McDonald's put marketing featuring Ronald McDonald on the shelf the past several years because so many people are creeped out by clowns. This photo of a low-flying Ronald ready to attack parade goers doesn't do the character any favors!
Speaking of dinosaurs, no dinosaur or any other character in the parade may have suffered more than Barney. The photo is bad enough, but the video is even more chilling!
Welcome back! I hope everyone had a great Halloween season and are looking forward to the final weeks of 2021 ahead.
Considering how many of my Internet friends are diehard autumn and Halloween fans, it's common for me to see them lament the arrival of November. For them, November means not only the end of their beloved Halloween, but the start of the Christmas season and all of its hustle and bustle.
I also love October and Halloween--I wouldn't participate in the Countdown to Halloween if I didn't--but instead of being sad about the end of that season, I embrace the new month.
I love November!
For me, November is the perfect transition from the gothic nature of October to the grandeur and pomp of December. November allows time for contemplation and reflection, a time to pause between two months defined by the fantastic and the spectacular. November is a more sober month than October or December, and I'm very glad it is.
For me, November is the most autumnal of months, at least in my area of the country. September is basically Summer Lite, and October still has plenty of greenery and warmth. November is the one month that is consistently "fall." Cool temperatures, changing leaves, earlier darkness--everything people love about autumn really doesn't hit its stride until this month.
These conditions allow for the contemplation I mentioned earlier. November is a month to feel the nip in the air and take a deep breath while you meditate on your place in the world and how you wish to spend your time on this earth. It's a great month to get a handle on your mental health. I recommend you take full advantage of it.
So go for a stroll through your neighborhood after sunset. Feel the cool wind embrace you. Smell the neighbor's fire pit and enjoy the scent of burning hickory. Let November wash over you. You've earned it. You deserve it.
Enjoy November!
