For many children, part of the Christmas season involves watching the classic animated holiday specials developed by Rankin-Bass, with many of them telling a story based around a classic Christmas carol. Much of the stop-motion animation developed for these animated shorts was actually made in Japan, meaning that, for a lot of American children, this was actually their first exposure to Japanese animation, too.

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While some of these specials, like Frosty the Snowman and Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, have become iconic holiday classics, other specials might not be as well known and some people might be surprised how many Rankin-Bass specials there've been over the years. A special based on the song "Santa Baby" was released as late as 2001 and even featured the original singer, Eartha Kitt.

10 Jack Frost

Elisa Rankin Bass

Technically, this can be considered a Groundhog Day special, but Christmas is still a part of the story. Pardon-Me-Pete, a groundhog, narrates the story, in which Jack Frost saves the life of a peasant girl named Elisa. Falling in love with her, he takes on a human form so he can be with her, but he has to get married by spring to become a real human. But trouble starts when a local tyrant and a handsome knight also take an interest in Elisa.

The plot kind of resembles The Little Mermaid with the genders reversed. Unfortunately, people who've read how that story actually ends can figure out Jack isn't getting a happy ending, either. Of course, the framing device already gives away the ending.

9 The Leprechauns' Christmas Gold

Rankin Bass

At first glance, casual viewers could be forgiven for thinking this is a St. Patrick's Day special, but it's a Christmas story in spite of the leprechauns.

An Irish sailor gets shipwrecked on a mysterious island where he accidentally releases an evil banshee, Mag the Hag. He then gets caught up with the island's population of leprechauns who need to protect their gold from the banshee by Christmas. Hopefully, a little Christmas magic, and leprechauns solving their marital problems, just might save the day.

8 The Cricket On The Hearth

Rankin Bass

Based on a Charles Dickens Christmas story that isn't A Christmas Carol, this special revolves around a talking cricket who serves as a guardian angel to a toymaker named Caleb and his daughter Bertha, who'll need his help when Bertha loses her eyesight, her fiance Edward goes missing, and a Scrooge-like villain wants to marry her.

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The special is a rather loose take on the original story. For starters, Bertha and Edward were originally brother and sister. The story was likely rewritten to highlight the fact a real-life father and daughter, Danny and Marlo Thomas, were voicing Caleb and Bertha.

7 Frosty's Winter Wonderland

Rankin Bass

In this sequel to the classic special, Frosty, the only returning character, gets lonely being the only talking snowman, so a bunch of kids help build him a wife and try to bring her to life. Meanwhile, Jack Frost, who seems to be a different Jack Frost than the one from the eponymous Jack Frost special, wants to steal Frosty's magic hat, despite it being the source of his life.

With Andy Griffith as the narrator, the story has sometimes jokingly been compared to The Bride of Frankenstein, except with snowmen. This also wasn't the last time Rankin-Bass would use Frosty.

6 Rudolph and Frosty's Christmas In July

Rankin Bass frosty rudolph

In this special, Rankin-Bass's two most famous stars, Rudolph and Frosty, appear together and help a struggling circus put on the show, with Frosty even having two kids tagging along. But evil looms in the background as an evil wizard, King Winterbolt, wants to destroy Santa Claus. Despite taking place in July, the story still involves a Christmas celebration, complete with the circus characters performing, "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree."

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The special expands on Rudolph's backstory: the personification of the Northern Lights, Lady Boreal, gave Rudolph the last of her power, to protect the world from Winterbolt. Unfortunately, Winterbolt's found a way for Rudolph to lose his powers.

5 Pinocchio's Christmas

Rankin Bass

One of Rankin-Bass' first projects was an animated series based on the famous puppet Pinocchio, so it makes sense they'd later give him a Christmas special, where tries to get Gepetto a Christmas present, only to get conned by the Fox and the Cat, who plan on selling him as a Christmas present.

Much of the story is essentially a retelling of the original Pinocchio book, just with the story taking place at Christmas. There are a few twists, however, like Santa Claus helping Pinocchio find his way home and the fairy bringing a female puppet to life for Pinocchio at the end.

4 Twas the Night Before Christmas

Rankin Bass

Inspired by the famous poem, it turns out there was a mouse after all that fateful Christmas night, stirring or otherwise, and he even had to save Christmas after his son writes a letter to the newspaper about how Santa Claus doesn't exist, alleging that it came from the whole town. The real Santa Claus naturally cancels Christmas for the town. Father Mouse, his son, and a human family have to work together to prepare a Christmas bell that might convince Santa to visit the town after all.

One of the most notable things about the special, however, was that South Park parodied it in "A Very Crappy Christmas," with Kyle's face even turning into a character from the special.

3 The Life And Adventures Of Santa Claus

Rankin Bass

Based on L. Frank Baum's book, this special gives an interesting backstory for Santa Claus: he was abandoned as a baby and taken in by powerful spirits called the Immortals. The special can be considered one of Rankin-Bass' darkest, as much of the plot revolves around the Angel of Death wanting to claim Santa Claus and the Immortals debating on whether they should make him immortal or not. The Immortals also have to battle evil beings called Awgwas.

The special might have been confusing for some kids, however, as Rankin-Bass also made another origin story for Santa Claus...

2 Santa Claus Is Comin' To Town

Rankin Bass' Santa Claus Is Coming To Town stars Kris and Jessica

This earlier Santa origin story also has Santa start out as an abandoned baby, this time being taken in by elf-like beings called the Kringles, who teach him how to make toys. More or less an original story, the plot involves Santa trying to bring toys to children in spite of an evil Burgermeister. Viewers also get to see how Santa fell in love with Mrs. Claus.

The special has become rather infamous over the years for a few songs: Santa's "Be Prepared to Pay (If You Sit On My Lap Today)," due to its lyrics, and the future Mrs. Claus' "My World is Beginning Today," for its psychedelic imagery. Some television stations have been known to cut the songs.

1 The Stingiest Man In Town

Rankin Bass

A Christmas Carol is one of the most heavily adapted Christmas stories out there, so it makes sense Rankin-Bass would make their version. In fact, showing how often the story is retold, it's actually a remake of a live-action television movie.

One of the more interesting parts of the special is that it implies that the Ghost of Christmas Present is also Santa Claus. And rather than "Bah Humbug!" just being Scrooge's catchphrase, there's a literal insect named B.A.H. Humbug, voiced by Tom Bosley, who narrates the story.

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