Why Do We Call It Christmas? 4

(I received this DVD from FlyByPromotions and was asked to watch it and give my opinion.  All opinions are my own.  Full disclaimer below)

I received the “Buck Denver Asks…Why Do We Call It Christmas?” from Laura Beth with FlyByPromotions and was asked to read it and give my review on it by way of blog post.

I had heard of the “What’s In The Bible?” series before and always loved hearing about what it was about.  I got to watch the “Why Do We Call It Christmas?” DVD and really enjoyed it.  I know my son is older, but cartoons are still something that the whole family likes.  We all watched it together and had a few laughs and a few questions answered that even my husband and I had never heard before.  The story was fun and being able to follow along and not lose your place was a great thing.  It had great characters, fun circumstances and is one I would definitely recommend to families, church groups, schools, etc.

There was some fun information on St. Nicholas and told a lot about how certain things got started and then how they got intertwined with Jesus’ birth.  I really loved the explanations of the stockings and the gifts, etc.  Some of the characters were a little hard to understand sometimes, but it never really took away from the movie in a whole…one other question, just like someone in the movie actually asked…why did the girl have a microphone on her head?? Weird…not sure if that’s something that the other cartoons would explain, but it’s just one of those things that never made sense to us.  Also, WHAT IT THE WORLD IS Pepparkakor??? ha/ha

About the Movie:

Buck Denver Asks….Why Do We Call it Christmas?

You’re invited to the Party of the year…an educational, informational, Christmical kind-of party! Join VeggieTales and What’s in the Bible? creator Phil Vischer and his friends from the popular What’s in the Bible? series Buck Denver, Captain Pete, Sunday School Lady, Clive and Ian for the most unusual Christmas party ever! We know Christmas is one of everyone’s favorite holidays. But have you ever wondered why we celebrate the birth of Jesus by chopping down trees and putting them in our houses? Or why we hang stockings by the fire? Or how Santa Claus became such a big part of Jesus’ birthday party? And why do we even call it “Christmas,” anyway? You’ve probably heard the Christmas story – but have you ever heard the story of Christmas?
Come explore….

• Why is it called “Christmas?”
• Why do we celebrate on Dec. 25th?
• What year was Jesus really born?
• What do Christmas trees have to do with Jesus?
• What about Santa Claus? Where did he come from?
• Which came first – Christmas or Hanukah? And which one did Jesus celebrate?
• What are the “12 Days of Christmas?”
• How does the name “Emmanuel” explain the real meaning of Christmas?

Product Details:
Actors: Buck Denver
Directors: Phil Vischer
Format: Color, NTSC
Language: English
Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only)

Enter To Win A Copy of the DVD Here:

Why Do They Call It Christmas? DVD Giveaway

If You Don’t Win – You Can Purchase It Here:

About The Curriculum:

Customizable Lessons for Your Church: Create a journey for your children and families to experience the WHOLE story of the Bible through these customizable Sunday school lessons for kids! More than just the greatest hits or most popular stories, the What’s in the Bible? Church Edition was designed to engage children in the whole narrative of God’s Word. The Bible is not a book of rules, but a book of rescue – the beautiful story of the Father who longs to be in relationship with every one of us, and who went to extraordinary measures to bring us into His Kingdom! When you start the lessons in the What’s in the Bible? Church Edition, your students are not only beginning a journey through the Bible, but the lifelong journey of a relationship with the Living God.

What’s in the Bible? Church Edition was created with you and your volunteers in mind! The Sunday school lessons are 100% customizable for your church and built with exclusive videos, activities and take-home elements. This 13-volume (52-week curriculum) takes your children through the Bible – from Genesis to Revelation.

About The Director:

Phil Vischer made his first animated film when he was nine years old; by the age of fourteen, he was convinced he would be a filmmaker when he grew up. After a brief stint at a Bible college, Phil struck out on his own, looking for a way to integrate his faith with his filmmaking.

This quest led him to a tomato and a cucumber. The year was 1991, and Phil was a newly married 25 year-old with no financial backing and no idea how his vegetables would ever see the light of day.

Today, almost 50 million VeggieTales videos have been purchased and Phil’s faith-filled stories can be found in one-third of all American homes with young children. Although Phil’s original company, Big Idea Productions, collapsed in bankruptcy in 2003, Phil continues his creative involvement with VeggieTales through its current owner.

Phil also is actively developing new ways to integrate faith and storytelling through his new creative shop, Jellyfish Labs. Phil captured the breathtaking rise – and heartbreaking fall – of Big Idea Productions in the book Me, Myself & Bob, which was published by Thomas Nelson. He is also the author of the popular children’s books Sidney and Norman and 47 Beavers on the Big Blue Sea.

Phil’s latest project is a 13-DVD series called Buck Denver Asks What’s in the Bible? that will take families all the way through the Bible – Genesis to Revelation. He also started JellyTelly, an interactive, online “mini-network” for children.

Phil lives with his wife Lisa and their three kids in Wheaton, IL.

Find Out More: