I’m a fan of tradition. I don’t particularly care what the tradition is, how long it’s existed, or what it represents, I just like things you can look forward to every year because I’m an anxious person who craves stability. I’m also a fan of Secular Christmas, because I don’t believe in god but I look great in red. Because of those two, let me present one of my favorite Christmas Traditions, the annual viewing of “The Great Toy Robbery.”

For years I was convinced my grandparents invented this film, which was actually produced by the National Film Board of Canada in 1963, so I assume the Canadian readers may have some familiarity with this. But for me, every year at their Christmas party my grandparents would pull out the reel and set up a huge projector for everyone to watch, and any time I’d try to talk to friends about it no one had a clue what I was talking about. But now there’s YouTube so I’ll never be alone again!

This movie has everything. A beautiful idiot who inadvertently saves the day. Toughened gangsters whose hearts are melted by teeny bears. A horse who listens to nobody. Funny sound effects. If you are in search of a Christmas tradition, I highly recommend this one.