I grew up watching Little House on the Prairie. Some of my favorite episodes were the Christmas ones, and there weren't many of them. The pilot movie had Christmas scenes, and there were four other episodes set during Christmas: "Christmas at Plum Creek" (Season 1), "Blizzard" (Season 3), "A Christmas They Never Forgot" (Season 8), and "Bless All the Dear Children" (TV Movie).
In the pilot, the Ingalls family has moved to Kansas and befriended a bachelor named Mr. Edwards. Caroline isn't a fan because he likes to frequent saloons and teaches Laura how to spit. However, at Christmastime, Mr. Edwards goes all the way to Independence and crosses an overflowing body of water to deliver presents for the three Ingalls girls and to bring a special treat for Christmas dinner, which softens Ma's attitude toward the rough and tumble bachelor.
The episode "Christmas at Plum Creek" is the only time I recall the Oleson's Mercantile being decorated for the holidays. It is a Christmas of secrets, as the Ingalls family hides what they are working on for each other despite not having a lot of money for gifts. Though there are a couple of sad moments in this episode, it ends on a happy note with Carrie saying a happy birthday to Baby Jesus.
"Blizzard" is not exactly a Christmas episode. It happens to be set on Christmas Eve, but it is all about survival on the harsh, open prairie. When it begins snowing, Miss Beadle releases the children early. However, the flurries quickly turn into a full-blown blizzard, with many of the children struggling to get back home. The school is turned into a hospital, and the women help Doc Baker as the men search for the missing children. Charles reads the Christmas story on Christmas morning after the blizzard is over. Michael Landon was thought to have used "
The Children's Blizzard" as inspiration for this episode.
Viewers didn't get another Christmas episode until Season 8, and Landon went all out, with another blizzard trapping the Ingalls family, the Wilders, the Kendalls, and Hester Sue at the little house on Plum Creek on Christmas Eve. As they wait out the storm, they share stories of Christmases past. Laura talks about Mr. Edwards bringing presents to them in Kansas. Caroline shares the story of how she came to love her stepfather, Papa Holbrook. Almanzo gives them a glimpse into his childhood and the year he almost stopped believing in Santa Claus, and Hester Sue shares a special Christmas growing up during the Civil War.
After the series ended, there were three made-for-TV movies. One of them was "Bless All the Dear Children." While shopping in Mankato, Rose Wilder goes missing, so Almamzo, Laura, and Mr. Edwards search for her. Back in Walnut Grove, Mr. Montague refuses to celebrate the commercialization of Christmas, and John Carter--who gave Almanzo money to buy gifts--worries the Wilders won't be home in time.
At my Laura Ingalls Wilder blog,
Laura's Little Houses, I used to run an annual poll to gauge everyone's favorite
Little House on the Prairie Christmas episode. It would change year to year, but it was either "Christmas at Plum Creek" or "A Christmas They Never Forgot."
Have you seen these episodes? Do you have a favorite?
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