The First Christmas: The Story of the First Christmas Snow (1975)

Best movie of this year hands down!

Instant Favorite.

When a movie has you begging for it to end not even half way through it's pure crap. We've all seen this movie and this characters millions of times, nothing new in it. Don't waste your time.

The first must-see film of the year.

Ever wanted to know the story of the first Christmas snow? Well, dear friends, it all began one very rainy day. As three nuns busied themselves making Christmas cards, they see a brilliant flash of lighting strike what appeared to be a young boy. They venture out into the downpour to investigate, and discover the poor young shepherd unconscious near a tree. He was being eyed by a couple of hungry wolves, but thankfully Sister Theresa, Sister Katherine and Sister Jean got to him in time and carried him back to the abbey. When the boy, named Lucas, came to, he couldn't tell where he was, because he couldn't see. The accident must have blinded him. Poor kid. And, like the good shepherd he was, his first concern was for his flock. Sister Theresa assures him they're being looked after. So now one problem was solved, but there were many remaining, such as what to do with Lucas, as he had no parents. The Parrish, Father Thomas, was not too keen on having the boy stay there at the abbey, saying the proper place for children without parents is in an orphanage, but to show he isn't entirely heartless, he'll let Lucas stay until after Christmas.As the days passed, Lucas recovered quite nicely, all except for his sight. Sister Theresa shows him...tells him about her knack for making Christmas cards out of her own fond holiday memories. She gets him involved with the other children, taking part in the church play. Lucas is going to be an angel, though the other children are not too accepting of him at first. However, he does make a friend in fellow angel, Louisa. Things are shaping up nicely, but as if the kid didn't have enough problems, he had nothing to give Sister Theresa for Christmas. All he had was his dog, Waggles, and his sheep. So, he decides to give them to her. Unfortunately, some little brats overheard him spell out this plan and decide to play a trick on him. They round up the sheep and lock them in the barn, so Lucas won't find them. The tables turn when the sheep break out and book it. Good plan, you little nimrods. They fess up to Sister Theresa, but the only person capable of bringing in a herd of sheep is the blind shepherd boy, so he and the three delinquents venture into the woods, and hopefully find all the sheep before those hungry wolves do. He calls out to them as if they were dogs, and surprisingly, they all respond to their names...except Wooley! Eventually they find the wayward sheep stuck in a deep, dark hole. With a little teamwork, they manage to rescue Wooley and make it back to the abbey in time for the play. The subject was the First Christmas, except in this version, there was snow. From his place in the choir, Lucas asked Louisa to tell him about snow, and as she talks, Lucas swore he could almost see those tantalizing little flakes of ice...and more. He could see again! It was a miracle! After the play, Sister Theresa thanks Lucas for the gift, but says she doesn't know how to take care of sheep, but that won't be a problem since Father Thomas has had a change of heart and will allow Lucas to stay with the people who love him.A very nice Christmas special from Rankin/Bass, it just ain't Christmas without them. Sure, this one isn't one of their more popular specials, nor does it air as much as, say, Year Without a Santa Claus, Santa Claus is Comin' to Town, etc., maybe because this one is more lowkey. It's not very upbeat and, for the most part, it's very realistic. No talking animals, very real things happen. That doesn't take away from it's enjoyment, it's got it where it counts. Angela Lansbury tells and sings this special's story to a tee. Great storytelling, great songs, and decent stop-motion animation (this WAS 1975). If you can find this special on DVD, I recommend checking it out.

This is the kind of show that you'll never see made again - something that is about Christianity and has a good moral for the children it's geared towards. Today it would be protested and replaced with Danny Phantom's Holiday Special or some crap like that. My seven year old boy loved it and counts it amongst his favorites. All the Rankin/Bass Christmas specials are enjoyable for young and old alike. This is probably one of the lesser known and harder to find ones. I love the claymation style they use - it would be great to see something new in this vein. Maybe one day they will release all the specials on one DVD - If you have small kids - catch it if you can.

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.

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.