For awhile, I thought I had made it up in my head. But I was certain it was real and have done some checking. The best I can find is that it's from a Canadian animation company. I would pay good money for a copy of it. I thought it had great imagery and presented the Christmas season in a different light than most Christmas pieces: a child's view of adult shoppers at Christmas was pretty dark - but closer to the real thing! It brings up the commercialization of Christmas and it also had something to say about dichotomies in society and how human emotions and even mob mentality can turn on a dime. I'm voting an 8 because I bet that nostalgia may be influencing me. I'd hope to see it again and see how well it holds up.
15 Reviews
Rockin' 70s Christmas aliens for kids!
v e o29 December 2005
In the early 80s at my elementary school we watched this every year during the Christmas season (on a projector!). I've always remembered it fondly but the details obviously became faded over time.
I remember the story was about how a kid with a goose for a pet is visited by 3 floating aliens who want to know the meaning of Christmas. As the boy tries to explain things to the aliens he discovers the magic of Christmas for himself. At the end the aliens belt out some crazy electro-Christmas music on their alien instruments for the whole town and then blast off into space, leaving the image of a Xmas tree in their wake with their shining ship acting as the crowning star.
After college I started to get nostalgic about my childhood and wanted to see this again however I had no idea what it was called and internet searches were pretty useless. I'm very excited (and also relieved!) to finally track down the details of this show.
They just don't make'em like they used to. I cant wait to see it again!
I remember the story was about how a kid with a goose for a pet is visited by 3 floating aliens who want to know the meaning of Christmas. As the boy tries to explain things to the aliens he discovers the magic of Christmas for himself. At the end the aliens belt out some crazy electro-Christmas music on their alien instruments for the whole town and then blast off into space, leaving the image of a Xmas tree in their wake with their shining ship acting as the crowning star.
After college I started to get nostalgic about my childhood and wanted to see this again however I had no idea what it was called and internet searches were pretty useless. I'm very excited (and also relieved!) to finally track down the details of this show.
They just don't make'em like they used to. I cant wait to see it again!
cosmic Christmas
deborahlz15 January 2006
Warning: Spoilers
I too thought I was mixing holiday specials from my youth as my sisters, husband, and friends of the same age did not remember anything about this special. I'm very relieved to see I was right. I think I saw it several times in a 1-2 year period on a UHF channel (maybe from Canada as I'm just across Lake Ontario and used to watch many Canadian shows - The Polka Dot Door among others). I seem to recall something about the townspeople saving someone who fell through the ice and a glowing sphere that was musical, also something about it being near a junk yard. Remarkably this special has stayed with me as well and I would welcome the chance to see it again. Each year I hope to catch it among the repeated specials on cable, but have had no luck so far. At least my curiosity has been satisfied.
Cool Yule.
melissa_pgh15 December 2002
A great Xmaz show that I haven't seen since 1977! I distinctly remember watching this show at age 8 and thinking "how cool"! I never saw it again. We didn't have cable, so perhaps another network broadcast the show in later years. (We only got NBC.) I had forgotten all about the show and probably thought I imagined the cartoon. Then 25 years later when my present boyfriend and I compared notes about favorite Xmaz shows, we both realized that we knew about this obscure Xmaz special. I truly wish some distributor would release Cosmic Christmas to DVD. I would love to see it again!
I remember the animation being different from other cartoons that I had seen. The storyline was unique and fresh from all the other sugar-coated Xmaz specials popular at the time.
I remember the animation being different from other cartoons that I had seen. The storyline was unique and fresh from all the other sugar-coated Xmaz specials popular at the time.
This movie really exists!
peppercat20008 November 2002
I remember seeing this movie as a child a long, long time ago. So long ago that I thought my memories from other cartoons were blending together and making this one up. Plus, I only remember seeing it once. No one I've talked to has ever remembered seeing it, which made things worse. I'm so excited to know it really, really exists. Now I'd just love to see it again!
Sci-Fi and Christmas not working for me
Horst_In_Translation25 November 2017
Warning: Spoilers
"A Cosmic Christmas" is a 26-minute animated short film from 1977, so this one indeed has its 40th anniversary this year. It is a very early effort by production company Nelvana who is still active until today and I believe the director here, Clive A. Smith, was one of the co-founders. There are a whole lot of writers here for this short film and I won't list the names. You know where to find them. Same for the voice cast here and I must say I don't know any of the actors. But sadly they did not manage to impress me either. Somehow there just felt something off about the entire premise and appreciating an alien-themed cartoon that still mostly wants to deliver the spirit of Christmas in terms of giving, caring and the season did not work out for me. Maybe this is one of those that you need to see and like as a kid in order to still hold it dear later in life. I personally found it rather underwhelming, even if the animation had some charm to it. It is definitely not a failure by any means, but it is also far from a level where I would recommend checking it out, not even during the month of December that is almost there already. Many better old half-hour cartoon Christmas specials out there. Go for one of these.
Absolutely wonderful
pineda758829 December 2006
Dear Friends: My Daughter Stacey and I happened to find Cosmic Christmas in 1977 and we really enjoyed it. We have looked for it every Christmas and we were very sad that we missed it every year since then. I hope that it will be shown every year so that others will fall in love with "Cosmic Christmas" as much as we did. At that time in 1977, we were going through a very sad situation and because we had the opportunity of seeing "Cosmic Christmas", we completely forgot about the sadness we were feeling. It just left us with a wonderful and peaceful feeling and lifted our spirits. Stacey was so happy after seeing "Cosmic Christmas" and we only saw it that one time and have been looking for it ever since. Our sad situation had a very happy ending. Where can we purchase a copy of this wonderful and very beautiful show? Will it be shown again in the future? Thanks very much. Sincerely, Marge Pineda and Daughter, Stacey Cabral.
Friendly visitors from outer space renew a child's faith in Christmas
ballmj28 January 2005
Cosmic Christmas was heavily promoted prior to its release during the 1977 Christmas season. Our family watched it and loved every minute. The plot provided a new twist on the traditional Christmas story, and the characters where very well defined. The fact it was a Canadian production also sparked our interest. We have always been interested in the possibility of extra-terrestrial beings visiting planet Earth. We also believe they are most likely to come in a friendly fashion rather than as invaders, as is so often portrayed in films. Because of these interests and beliefs, Cosmic Christmas was very satisfying to watch. Our children were quite young at the time and it helped us talk to them about the possibility of visitors from space and the likelihood that they would be friendly and not something to be feared. We have never seen the film since then, and would very much like to see it again. Does anyone know if it is available?
A Canadian classic!
cfc_can31 October 2000
I saw A Cosmic Christmas when it first aired in 1977. At the time, I didn't think too much of it but over the years I've come to accept it as a Yuletide perennial just like Rudolph and Frosty. It doesn't feature any well known characters but it's not easy to forget. (how many kids have a goose for a pet?) The story is about Three Wise Men/aliens landing on earth and searching for the meaning of Christmas. The animation is actually a bit eerie at times. A Cosmic Christmas does a good job of examining the commercialism and hypocrisy that abounds during the season (the town mayor is a hoot!) The music is almost mystical and somewhat touching. Many Yuletide specials are synthetic, bland and predictable but this one is genuinely original and imaginative.
A cosmic Christmas.........
YouKnowMyName689 October 2005
I remember when this showed on television in 1977, I think it was on Channel 7 (abc)? Everything about was/is great!! It is just so intriguing to see this idea taking place in space about this family and has a science-fiction flavor to it. I definitely loved the art style and animation. Nelvana is a company I definitely remember, along with other animation they such as Rome-0 and Julie-8(?), Animalympics(great, great, art work and animation, very, very, excellent with cool music) and there are still more that Nelvana made something about 2 racoons (I can't remember the name, and the other one had to do with Halloween) Their animation and art style is clearly evident but A Cosmic Christmas stands out just because, for me, because it had elements that I like such as star ships, well in this case a space wagon (if I recall this correctly) and the boy had an unusual pet, looked like a flying razor making funny sounds. This animation is another in a long list of little known productions from the late 70s that I remember very well in my childhood and it partly the reason I am a graphic artist. Oh, I did not like Rock n Rule because I have absolutely no interest in the subject and where they were going with the story. I saw the movie and I still feel that way. Nelvana since then have made animation but the quality of it has lessened. It is exactly like the Hanna-Barbera studios. Their most skillful and talented animators displayed their artistry in the 40s but as time went along the animation may have gotten smoother but the drawings in the passage of time and with different artists the designs became less detailed until by the mid 60s and early 70s Scooby doo(Ugh.) style of animating and design just prevailed. Which is why I do not respect HB today. Seems to have happened with the Nelvana animation house.
I remember loving it!
MooseJets5 January 2010
...but I do need to see it again. It was definitely a message that touched my heart and I continue to look for it still today. The characters and plot was very different from all that was going on at the time. I was barely a teenager at the time, but it was a spiritual epiphany that .."yes, this message contained the true meaning of Christmas". The animation was different and intriguing. It really helped sell the message.
I don't understand why it hasn't been back on. I scour the TV every Christmas in hopes that someone has discovered how great it is and invest in it. I would gladly invest in bringing it into the 20th century. It would be beautiful on Blue-Ray.
I don't understand why it hasn't been back on. I scour the TV every Christmas in hopes that someone has discovered how great it is and invest in it. I would gladly invest in bringing it into the 20th century. It would be beautiful on Blue-Ray.
Looking for this one for years...
Lighter271 January 2020
In 1977, I was a junior in college and a good friend and I were lamenting that Christmas was coming and we just didn't feel anything. There were lots of college parties going on that evening, but nothing focused on the meaning of the season. We went to his room in our fraternity and turned on his TV and stumbled on this. It was the perfect antidote to what we were feeling. The story was simple, but profound, the story telling was great, the animation was different and captivating. I loved the message of being involved and helping others.
I discovered we could stream it this year, and before Christmas, watched it with a couple of my grown children. Many thanks to the great team that put this together all those years ago.
I discovered we could stream it this year, and before Christmas, watched it with a couple of my grown children. Many thanks to the great team that put this together all those years ago.
I got it for Christmas 2010 on VHS
jeffreyjets10 January 2011
I had been looking for Cosmic Christmas for a long time. Finally, I saw a blog on IMDb that said it was a released in 1989 as an extra on the '50's cartoon Littlest Angel VHS. I found it on Amazon and got it for Christmas. Only $7 including shipping. Funny that The Littlest Angel is less than 15 minutes long and Cosmic Christmas is about 25 minutes. While not high quality, it was still a joy to watch. It was as I remembered... a little odd, exaggerated characters and a poignant message of Christmas - Christmas loving is giving to those who are deemed undeserving.
The only thing that makes it not a 10 is that it is not on DVD, but I still highly recommend it. I think it is the off-beat funny characters and the out of this world story line that was intriguing to me as kid. I mean I have often been asked what would I do if aliens came to earth and I have said that if I wasn't too scared, I would ask them if they had heard about Jesus. This cartoon while not being evangelical in any way, shape or form - it does tell aliens the meaning of Christmas, which I thought was great as a child and still do.
The only thing that makes it not a 10 is that it is not on DVD, but I still highly recommend it. I think it is the off-beat funny characters and the out of this world story line that was intriguing to me as kid. I mean I have often been asked what would I do if aliens came to earth and I have said that if I wasn't too scared, I would ask them if they had heard about Jesus. This cartoon while not being evangelical in any way, shape or form - it does tell aliens the meaning of Christmas, which I thought was great as a child and still do.
Slightly weird late 70s Christmas
cousinoleg26 December 2012
Warning: Spoilers
While switching channels yesterday, i stumbled upon this Christmas cartoon on Kidsco channel. It was kind of weird, somewhat similar to Charles Dickens' Christmas novels, where the cynical people with hardened hearts, are changed for the better during Christmas after repenting of their own evil nature/sinfulness, usually after being shown their decay from innocent children to adults with cold hearts. It convicts myself, since i am as inclined to sin and evil, and have become a lost son/sheep away from God and Christ. The same about this cartoon, showing a young boy Peter and his pet goose, walking in a gloomy city during Christmas holidays, but lacking any good spirit and the adults are materialistic, selfish and worried by petty nonsense.
The boy then sees a shiny star, which is really an alien ship, which everybody doesn't notice, too preoccupied by themselves. After a fight with some homeless children, Peter then meets three aliens, similar to the three wise men/Magi from the New Testament, who came to meet the born King of Kings, Jesus Christ; also the alien ship seemed like the star that marked Jesus' birthplace. These three are on a quest to find out the meaning of Christmas; but what is understandable to a child - birth of Lord Jesus Christ and striving to love others as ourselves through good deeds, has been forgotten by the adults and children alike, except for Peter and his family.
And as Peter's goose was stolen by one of the homeless children for food, the whole family sets on a chase to reclaim it, which almost ends tragically - the thief falls through cracked ice into the cold lake, dragging Peter with himself. But this event has lead to the joining of forces of the adults and aliens to save the drowning children, and then leads to a party where everybody is invited, including the thief, who was forgiven and the other homeless children. After this the aliens leave, having finally understood the meaning of Christmas, which is to be more like Jesus Christ.
CONCLUSION: There is a definite influence of the first Star Wars movie released earlier in the same year, with the whole aliens story angle. There is the whole consumerism, cynicism that are more evident today, but they are shown as bad and unappealing. The good part is that this cartoon does mention the birth of Jesus Christ (even though it probably wasn't on December 25), which is a rarity in Christmas movies/cartoons today. The main ideas are similar to the following Bible verses:
"Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things." (Philippians 4:8)
"..I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven." (Matthew 18:3)
The soundtrack is cool, with a few melodic songs with real instruments, as well as various synthesized sound effects for aliens/alien ship, which do sound creepy and can bring some element of nostalgia for those who like older electronic music.
If you are tired of the godless, cynical and shallow media of today and wanna show your children a better Christian-like example, this is a good example, while telling them that the whole aliens stuff is a metaphor for Jesus' birth.
The boy then sees a shiny star, which is really an alien ship, which everybody doesn't notice, too preoccupied by themselves. After a fight with some homeless children, Peter then meets three aliens, similar to the three wise men/Magi from the New Testament, who came to meet the born King of Kings, Jesus Christ; also the alien ship seemed like the star that marked Jesus' birthplace. These three are on a quest to find out the meaning of Christmas; but what is understandable to a child - birth of Lord Jesus Christ and striving to love others as ourselves through good deeds, has been forgotten by the adults and children alike, except for Peter and his family.
And as Peter's goose was stolen by one of the homeless children for food, the whole family sets on a chase to reclaim it, which almost ends tragically - the thief falls through cracked ice into the cold lake, dragging Peter with himself. But this event has lead to the joining of forces of the adults and aliens to save the drowning children, and then leads to a party where everybody is invited, including the thief, who was forgiven and the other homeless children. After this the aliens leave, having finally understood the meaning of Christmas, which is to be more like Jesus Christ.
CONCLUSION: There is a definite influence of the first Star Wars movie released earlier in the same year, with the whole aliens story angle. There is the whole consumerism, cynicism that are more evident today, but they are shown as bad and unappealing. The good part is that this cartoon does mention the birth of Jesus Christ (even though it probably wasn't on December 25), which is a rarity in Christmas movies/cartoons today. The main ideas are similar to the following Bible verses:
"Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things." (Philippians 4:8)
"..I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven." (Matthew 18:3)
The soundtrack is cool, with a few melodic songs with real instruments, as well as various synthesized sound effects for aliens/alien ship, which do sound creepy and can bring some element of nostalgia for those who like older electronic music.
If you are tired of the godless, cynical and shallow media of today and wanna show your children a better Christian-like example, this is a good example, while telling them that the whole aliens stuff is a metaphor for Jesus' birth.
Hallejujah
raben-811465 October 2023
Warning: Spoilers
The first Christmas preparations are coming this month with the All I Want for Christmas is You defrosting and more. Let us look back to the 1970s when disco, electronic music, Star Wars and New Age music was all the rage. The Three Wiseman are now from another planet, and they are coming for a friendly visit. The animation and music was outstanding. Why this laid forgotten may be because it was in between Star Wars and Encounters of the Third Kind. This Christmas special is on Youtube, but it is much funnier to see if you can find this on your television channels or on VHS. It is not just for kids but also adults that want some 1970s flashbacks.
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