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Christmas in the Arts and MediaChristmas in the Arts and MediaInformation taken from the following site: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christmas Christmas in the Media and Christmas Movies Many fictional Christmas stories capture the spirit of Christmas in a modern-day fairy tale, often with heart-touching stories of a Christmas miracle. Several have become part of the Christmas tradition in their countries of origin. Among the most popular are Tchaikovsky's ballet, "The Nutcracker" and Charles Dickens' novel, "A Christmas Carol". The "Nutcracker" tells of a nutcracker that comes to life in a young German girl's dream. Charles Dickens', "A Christmas Carol" is the tale of curmudgeonly miser Ebenezer Scrooge. Scrooge rejects compassion, philanthropy, and Christmas until he is visited by the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future, who show him the consequences of his ways. Some Scandinavian Christmas stories are less cheery than Dickens'. In H. C. Andersen's, "The Little Match Girl", a destitute little girl walks barefoot through snow-covered streets on Christmas Eve, trying in vain to sell her matches, and peeking in at the celebrations in the homes of the more fortunate. In 1881, the Swedish magazine "Ny Illustrerad Tidning" published Viktor Rydberg's poem, "Tomten" featuring the first painting by Jenny Nyström of the traditional Swedish mythical character, tomte, which she turned into the friendly white-bearded figure associated with Christmas. Many Christmas stories have been popularized as movies and TV specials. Since the 1980s, many video editions are sold and resold every year during the holiday season. A notable example is the film, "It's a Wonderful Life", which turns the theme of A Christmas Carol on its head. Its hero, George Bailey, is a businessman who sacrificed his dreams to help his community. On Christmas Eve, a guardian angel finds him in despair and prevents him from committing suicide by magically showing him how much he meant to the world around him. Perhaps the most famous animated production is, "A Charlie Brown Christmas" wherein Charlie Brown tries to address his feelings of dissatisfaction with the holidays by trying to find a deeper meaning in them. This special is noted for one of the characters retelling of the first Christmas. The humorous, "A Christmas Story" (1983) in which the main character dreams of owning a Red Ryder BB Gun, has become a holiday classic and is even repeated for 24 hours straight starting on Christmas Eve night and going on through Christmas Day on US cable channel Turner Network Television or TBS. A few true stories have also become enduring Christmas tales themselves. The story behind the Christmas carol "Silent Night" and the story,"Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus" is among the most well-known of these. Radio and television programs aggressively pursue entertainment and ratings through their cultivation of Christmas themes. Radio stations broadcast Christmas carols and Christmas songs, including classical music such as the "Hallelujah Chorus" from Handel's, "Messiah". Among other classical pieces inspired by Christmas are the "Nutcracker Suite", adapted from Tchaikovsky's ballet score, and Johann Sebastian Bach's, "Christmas Oratorio". Television networks add Christmas themes to their standard programming, run traditional holiday movies, and produce a variety of Christmas specials. |
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See more information from Wikipedia on the following subjects:
A Charlie Brown Christmas http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Charlie_Brown_Christmas Scrouge - 1951 Film http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scrooge_%281951_film%29 A Christmas Story http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Christmas_Story Frosty the Snowman http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frosty_the_Snowman How the Grinch Stole Christmas http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/How_the_Grinch_Stole_Christmas%21 It's a Wonderful Life http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/It%27s_a_Wonderful_Life Miracle on 34th Street http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miracle_on_34th_Street National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Lampoon%27s_Christmas_Vacation Rudolph the Red Nosed-Reindeer http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rudo...d-Nosed_Reindeer_%28TV_special%29 Santa Claus is Coming to Town http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santa_Claus_is_Coming_to_Town |