Kay Cassidy’s Favorite Holiday Movie

Today we are happy to feature Kay Cassidy, debut author of The Cinderella Society (to be released on April 13, 2010, but available for pre-orders now).

She wrote us up the following essay--and how cute is this?--called "Why ‘A Charlie Brown Christmas' is the best Christmas movie ever!”

Take it away, Kay...

I love holiday movies. LOVE. THEM. When I was younger, my mom always planned our tree trimming evening the day of a big Christmas special on TV. This was back in the day before they were available on video, so you only got to watch each one once a year (if you were lucky!). I will always equate those classic Christmas movies to decorating the tree, time spent with family, and my mom's egg nog. Mmmm.

Which movies do I adore? I love Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and Santa Claus is Coming to Town. I chill to Frosty the Snowman. But my favorite classic of all? A Charlie Brown Christmas, hands down.

While there is much to love about this Peanuts classic, here are my favorite things:

** The scene with Lucy and Schroeder where Lucy is trying to get him to play the "real" Jingle Bells. The look on Schroeder's face when he finally gives up and does it her way makes me laugh every time.

** When Lucy instructs Charlie Brown to buy a Christmas tree... a "nice aluminum one". Commercialism to the extreme. As an ace shopping avoider, I can relate to how Charlie Brown feels.


** When Charlie Brown gives up on his poor little tree and the others finally come around to embrace it, decorating it up until it is beyond anything its tiny little branches could imagine? Gets me every time.

** And, of course, what would a Charlie Brown holiday special be without Linus as the voice of reason? His short and sweet vignette about the true meaning of Christmas is classic Linus in its simplicity and reverence. (Although in truth, my favorite Linus moment is in A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving when he explains to Peppermint Patty and the gang what Thanksgiving is really about.)

So here's to holiday classics and time spent with family. No matter how you spend these last few days of December, I hope they find you happy, healthy, and filled with cheer!
Thank you, Kay, and we look forward to having you back here at YA Fresh next year, to learn more about your writing and The Cinderella Society!

In the meantime, we’d love to hear from our readers...do you remember the Charlie Brown Christmas movie as well and as fondly? I sure do...and often point out the small trees on the Christmas lots and try to get my family to indulge me in a Charlie Brown Christmas tree! Hasn't happened yet...but someday!