Elmo's Christmas wish

An underrated holiday film.

This is The Snack Desk, a newsletter of personal essays, gems from different corners of the internet, and other bites for your snack break.

This season is the perfect time of year to take in classic holiday films, some of which are so moving that their most iconic scenes remain in the cultural zeitgeist for years to come. “Every time a bell rings, an angel gets his wings,” we say in homage to It’s a Wonderful Life (1946). One of the most famous songs from White Christmas (1954) got a tribute from Kelly Clarkson on her show earlier this year.

And then there’s Elmo Saves Christmas (1996). Growing up, this was the Christmas movie that my family quoted more than any other.

My dad loved one scene in particular. He repeated it so many times that when I think of it, I don’t hear the actual character’ voices, but my dad’s impressions of them. I can relay the whole thing by heart:

Elmo saves Santa from being trapped in a chimney, and as a reward, Santa gives Elmo a magic snow globe that grants him three wishes. “You can ask for anything you want, anything in the world,” Santa tells him. Elmo thinks for a moment, then shakes the snow globe with all his might. Suddenly, a glass of water appears on the table next to him.

“Did you just wish for a glass of water?” Santa asks.

Elmo nods.

“But you could have had anything!” Santa says, exasperated.

Elmo shrugs. “I was thirsty!”

It really is funnier if you do your own impression of Elmo’s voice.

If you need to entertain a small child this weekend—or just your own inner child—I found the entirety of this masterpiece on YouTube. If you don’t mind the VHS quality, it’s a great watch.