[8.3/10] Ah *Sesame Street*, truly the paragon of all that is good and sweet and wholesome in the world. I don’t celebrate X-mas myself, but it’s hard not to be swept up in all the good tidings Big Bird and company bring around the holiday season in specials like this one. Even in 1978, it’s striking how diverse and inclusive, how timelessly silly, and how full of cheer our deeply felt friends were and are.

Each segment and series of bits is well done and enjoyable. I particularly enjoyed the ice skating opener, which takes a few liberties with the size of the muppets, but turns a rink into a playpan for our puppet pals. And there’s a great little routine between an unsteady-on-skates Big Bird and a talented little girl that uses the music and cinematography to tell a neat little story about tentativeness and beauty.

The side stories in the episode are all enjoyable as well. Bert and Ernie pulling an O. Henry, replete with Mr. Hooper to complete the circuit, is goofy and cheerful, with each willing to sacrifice treasured possessions to get the other a nice gift. Cookie Monster’s setup of trying to write a letter to Santa and inevitably eating each of his communication implements when he gets carried away thinking about cookies is a good series of running gags. And the bits where Kermit and Grover interact with real kids and ask them how Santa gets down the chimney are just adorable, and show what improv pros Jim Henson and Frank Oz are.

The main story sees Oscar the Grouch worrying Big Bird over that very question, sending Big Bird on a wide ranging fact finding mission that leaves him afraid no one will get any presents on Christmas Eve. It’s fairly straightforward, but sweet little tail that preserves the magic of the holiday while showing the loving community that *Sesame Street* represents. The songs that Henson & Co. use to buoy that story are all winning at worst, with “Keep Christmas With You” being a tender classic, and Oscar’s “I Hate Christmas” being a rousing good time.

Overall, this is a festive, wholesome, and undeniably warm outing from your favorite puppets, with the right combination of humor, artistry, and affection to fit the holidays without veering into the staid or saccharine. Nice to visit Sesame Street once more this time of year, no matter how old I get.