For fifty years the Grinch, along with adorable Cindy Lou Who, have been a holiday tradition for many households. It all started with Dr. Suess’ book, “How The Grinch Stole Christmas” which was published in 1957. Then in 1966 Boris Karloff narrated and voiced the Grinch in the animated movie. If you haven’t seen it, the brightly colored citizens of Who-ville dance and sing about while the Grinch sits atop his mountain lair growing more and more resentful of the joyfulness happening in the town below.

The hairy, green guy with a sourpuss attitude has been attempting to ruin Christmas for fifty years now. While many adults have fond memories of watching “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” as children, I did not grow up watching it. It wasn’t until I became a mom that I made it a part of our family’s holiday traditions.

The story of the Grinch resonates with me now. Amidst all of the hustle and bustle of the season, it is easy to lose sight of what is really important. Sure, all of the decorations, toys and feasts are fun. Watching the kids sprint out of their rooms on Christmas morning to find copious amounts of wildly wrapped presents is just as exciting for my husband and I as it is for our children. We delight in the flurry and downright fury of wrapping paper being torn and cheers of “WOW!” and “I WANTED THAT AND I GOT IT!” Yet before all of the joy on the morning of December 25th, the weeks (and maybe months) leading up to it are stressful and not always cheery.

I can see how the lonely Grinch, sitting high atop his mountain, could hear the singing from Who-ville and how it would drive him crazy. His mean spirited plot to steal Christmas has now entered everyday vernacular to describe thieves who steal packages off porches or grumpy old people who complain about Christmas lights wasting energy. But the people who use the term “Grinch” as a label for criminals and cantankerous folks must not have understood the whole plot of the story.

Yes, Grinchy Claus was a mean one. The Grinch certainly was “a foul one,” a “nasty-wasty skunk” who “stink, stank, stunk!” (thank you Dr. Suess and Thurl Ravenscroft for a whole song full of one liners I can hurl at mean people during Christmastime) The Grinch definitely TRIED to steal Christmas but he didn’t. He couldn’t.
High atop Mount Crumpit, his sled weighed down with the Who-ville’s entire contents, that mean Grinch heard Cindy Lou-Who and the rest of Who-ville singing. He then realized what the holidays are about. Take away the frills, the packages, the over consumption of food and drink and what you get is the true spirit of this season.

Love.

Family, friends, pets and even the kindness of strangers is what makes Mr. Grinch’s heart grow. The Grinch ends up saving Christmas.

Happy Anniversary to “How the Grinch Stole Christmas!” whose message isn’t relegated solely towards kids because it is a “cartoon.” Dr. Suess, Boris Karloff and Thurl Ravenscroft have been reminding people of all ages for fifty years that Christmas “doesn’t come from a store…Christmas means a little bit more.”

May your heart grow this season and like the Grinch, may you realize what is really important.

“Welcome, Christmas, bring your cheer. Cheer to all Whos far and near. Christmas Day is in our grasp, so long as we have hands to clasp. Christmas Day will always be just as long as we have we. Welcome Christmas while we stand, heart to heart, and hand in hand.”-Dr. Suess’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas!