Meg’s Top Ten Favorite Christmas Movies, Number Nine: Emmet Otter’s Jug Band Christmas

It's time to grab a mug of cocoa and cozy up with some of the greatest holiday films of all time. I'll spotlight one of my favorites each day until we reach #1.

Meg's Top Ten Favorite Christmas Movies

Number Nine: Emmet Otter's Jug Band Christmas (1978)

I love anything and everything related to Jim Henson. His cast of Muppets was a formidable part of my childhood, so watching a Henson flick is like stepping back to happier times. I've had a few friends mention they'd never seen this film before (sacrilige!), so I had to include it in my countdown.

Here's a basic rundown of the plot, minus any spoilers: little Emmet Otter and his widowed Ma live in Frogtown Hollow. They manage to scrape by with various odd jobs, but when Christmas rolls around, they're left wondering how they'll be able to purchase presents for one another without any money in the bank. They enter a talent contest in the near-by town of Waterville in hopes of earning prize money to bankroll their Christmas shopping. What happens along the way is fun, funny, and even a little sentimental. Okay, a lot sentimental. I always tear up when they sing "Our World."

If you've never seen Emmet Otter's Jug Band Christmas, make this the year you check it out. I watched it last year for the first time with my nephews and niece, and they loved it! You might think the flim's being a bit older would be a deterrent to kids, but I promise, this movie is one that stands the test of time.

Here's a Youtube clip of one of my favorite songs from the movie:

Next up on the countdown: maple syrup, Gimbel's, and a magical candy cane forest...