The First Christmas: The Story of the First Christmas Snow

I just recently saw this special again and it made me realize what a heart warming story it is.

Oh yes little Lucas is blinded in a thunderstorm and is taken in by an Abbey of nuns, one of which as voiced by Angela Landsbury.

I loved how Lucas had to deal with his disability while still being a shepherd, worryng about whether or not he gets to stay at the Abbey, finding the right gift for Angela's nun character, befriending a girl named Louisa, finding his lost sheep, and being in the Christmas pageant, where two miracles happen. What a story!

I loved too how they incorporated not only the typical Christian Christmas story, but also Jesus' Parable of the Lost Sheep from Luke 15:3-7 into the plot-line of his story, which makes it especially special.

If you can find it (and ABC Family often broadcasts this special during their 25 Days of Christmas every December) I think this is one special to watch.

While parts of the story are adorable - the little shepherd boy and his sheep, with the dog, the nuns and the other children - the weird, weird aspect of adding snow and Irving Berlin's "White Christmas" bothered me to no end. Especially since the children add snow to the nativity scene of the first Christmas. In Bethlehem? Jesus was sleeping outside in a manger in the Middle East and there was snow? What is this even? Whose terrible idea was this and good lord why in the world did so many people go along with it as late as 1975?

Generally I am a fan of 70s cinema and I especially love these stop-motion Christmas specials, but this one is truly bizarre.

This is my favorite Christmas movies. It really struck a cord with me as a young child. I will never forget it. It breaks my heart that it is almost never aired on television anymore. If it is, it is aired between five and eight am when many people will miss it. I would always fall back to sleep and miss it. If you ever have the chance to buy/watch this movie, please do! You will not regret it! It is such a heart warming story that will stay with you. I am a huge fan of clay animation. They do not make movies like this anymore. This is something the whole family will enjoy and you will want to pass it on. It's sure to be your families favorite!

This movie has all the feel good aspects of other Christmas classics but not the fantasy. A person could almost believe it is a story that could have really taken place. This is a good piece of work by Angela Lansbury. It is often over looked when compared with other Christmas classics but more than worth watching.

Angela Lansbury stars in this gem, one of the lesser-known TV specials Rankin/Bass made. The story is about a young shepherd boy who is blinded by lightning and taken in by some nuns, led by Lansbury's Sister Theresa. As the boy recuperates, Sister Theresa tells him about snow, which he had never experienced firsthand. It's a lovely story with a touching ending that I won't spoil here. The stop-motion animation is wonderful. The music is quite nice with some decent songs, including the timeless "White Christmas," sung by Lansbury. I never get tired of Rankin/Bass specials. They're uplifting, heartwarming entertainment for all ages. This one isn't as famous as many others but it's a good one worth taking a look at if you enjoy Rankin/Bass' other classics.