'Twas The Night: A Holiday Celebration is a 2002 animated holiday special by HBO.
'Twas The Night has a mix of animated segments and live-action segments starring children. The animated segments are set to Christmas time staples such as "The Christmas Song" by Nat King Cole and "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas" by Judy Garland.
Not to be confused with the 1970s Rankin/Bass Productions animated special 'Twas the Night Before Christmas or the Disney Channel Original Movie with Bryan Cranston, 'Twas the Night.
'Twas The Night provides examples of:
- Art Shift: The animated segments are all drawn in different styles.
- Christmas Special: The special focuses mainly on Christmas but there are Kwanzaa and a Hannukah segments as well.
- Finale Title Drop: The special ends with Louis Armstrong's version of 'Twas the Night Before Christmas.
- Funny Animal: The "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas" segment features an anthropomorphic rabbit sailing all alone in a boat. They're homesick and wish they could be with their family for Christmas. As it turns out, the rabbit "lives" in a snow globe. The people that own the globe are similar looking rabbits.
- Santa Clausmas: Averted. Instead of ignoring the religious aspects of Christmas, the special does reference it. It even starts with girls-dressed-as-angels singing "Silent Night" at a church.
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Spiritual Successor: To the 1999 HBO special Goodnight Moon & Other Sleepytime Tales. The two have similar formats of musical animations combined with live-action segments featuring children.
