1.         The Darkest Time of Year

 As the lights fade we begin to hear the sound of wind.  The black screen fades up slightly to show a frigid sunset over a frozen lake; a few bare trees bend in the wind.  Darkness is falling fast.  The sound of a slow, lilting woodwind reinforces the feeling of desolation.  The stars begin to rise, reflected on the water.  A low, warm voice tells us that this -- the winter solstice -- is a time of darkness and cold.  Yet in this darkness lies the seed of the coming of light!

2.         The Coming of Light/Titles

One star shines more brightly than the others...it grows in size and brilliance...solstice bells (church bells) begin to ring...the star grows bigger and brighter, filling the screen with light, then freezes long enough to accommodate the title and the name of the sponsor(s).  Throughout the titles, church bells peal. 

3.         Christmas in the City (New York)

 Slowly, the music changes from pealing bells to taped Christmas music -- maybe "Christmas Time in the City."  During this musical transition the bright star fades to darkness.  Suddenly, we (with the help of the narrative voice) find ourselves to be on Fifth Avenue in New York City.  We are among a bewildering crowd of city shoppers, pushing our way through the street.  At super-fast speed we join the throngs at FAO Schwartz, look in at the animated Christmas windows at Lord and Taylor, and take a quick tour of the tourists at St. Patrick's Cathedral.  At Rockefeller Center we take a hard right, stopping short to view the tree and its lights.  Then we race at top speed through the crowds and past the angels, barely missing the huge tree at Rockefeller Center.  We hurry down to the skating rink; suddenly, we find ourselves among a group of skaters with Santa Claus.  Children are laughing, chasing, etc.  We follow one child as he topples, laughing.  Looking up, we see a figureskater coming straight at us.  The skate stops short just in front of our faces.  Following the skate up, we find it belongs to a skater in yellow and red, who skates off and begins to twirl.  As she spins faster and faster, she begins to resemble a flame.

4.         Hanukkah

 We pull back from the skater, and she fades out as does the Christmas music.  We now begin to hear the voice of a Jewish cantor; as he sings, we find ourselves among a Jewish family.  The men and boys wear yarmulkes and prayer shawls.  We, like the family members, are focused on the solemn ceremony of the lighting of the hanukkah menorah.  The father of the family speaks to one of the sons -- it is this boy's job to light the candles on the menorah.  He steps forward, lights the candles and recites the appropriate prayers.  After a moment of solemnity, our family bursts into activity and noise.  The adults and teenagers are bringing food in from the kitchen, but we join the children as they play with the dradle on the floor.  We are directly underfoot, and we look up to see scolding adults hurry past.  We watch as the children spin the top and pay off their "debts" in chocolate money.  Now, the top is spinning more slowly than is physically possible.  We see each of the Hebrew letter clearly as they spin past.  Our narrator names the letters and their meanings as they pass us.  As the top falls, the scene fades.

5.         Canada's Winter Carnaval du Quebec

 As the image returns, we are watching a flame work its way down the fuse toward a firework at Canada's Winter Carnaval du Quebec.  We are standing a little too close for comfort as the firework explodes over an outdoor wintry scene of laughing, music, and firecrackers.  We see the Carnaval's huge snowman, children throwing snowballs and skating.  Families are playing together in the snow -- and we are just in time to dodge a big, wet snowball in the face!   Now we hurry with a group of youngsters to watch as a particularly beautiful firework is lit; we follow the light up and watch it fill the screen.  As it fades, we discover a starry winter sky.

 6.         Christmas in a French Cathedral (Notre Dame?)

We fly through the starlit sky, looking down on the lighted streets of Paris.  Faintly, we hear the sound of ecclesiastical music.  We see the Eiffel Tower and the exterior of Notre Dame, and the music grows louder.  The doors to the cathedral are open, and we pass through them.  The solemn splendor of the cathedral is matched by the soaring music that fills it.  We enter from the back of the church, then move up the aisle watching families standing together singing.  As we reach the altar we see the creche, we hear the choir, then we rise up to a stained glass window behind the altar.  The window fills the screen with rich colors; the music rises to a crescendo.

 7.         12th Night in Mexico

 The window and the music stop dead on a musical dime.  The brilliant image of colored light disappears, but is immediately replaced by the colors of a pinata in Mexico which fills the screen.  We see a stick come at us, hitting the pinata several times.  Finally, the pinata breaks to the shouts of young children.  We move back to see candy showering out of the pinata and youngsters scrambling for it.  We move even farther back and see an extended family gathered round a table set for dinner.  We move even farther back, and suddenly discover that we are standing on a balcony, peeking in on this scene through a french-style door.  On our balcony, shoes are set out waiting for the gifts of the magi on this, the 12th night of Christmas (January 6th).  We learn, from our narrator, about the tradition of 12th night.  "Leaping" from the balcony, we float slowly down through a Mexican village.  The scene fades out to the sound of the faint voices of the Mexican family.  A woodwind (perhaps a clarinet) picks up where the voices leave off. 

8.         An American Country Christmas

When the image fades back in, we are still moving "through the air."  Now, though, we are "flying" over a frozen field in the American mid-west.  We pan in closer and closer to a farmhouse.  The decorations on this house include all the classics -- Santa, reindeer, blinking lights.  The woodwind fades, and we now hear the sounds of a family singing carols at the tops of their voices.  We peek in the window and see a American Christmas Eve celebration in progress.  Friends and family have just finished eating a huge meal, and they are gathered round a piano singing enthusiastically -- but out of key.  A fire in the fireplace warms the scene; hung on the mantel are stockings filled with toys and candy canes.  There is a Christmas tree covered with ornaments and lights.  The children (in pajamas) run to the Christmas tree, begging to open just one present.  We run with the children to the tree, then pan up the tree, past the ornaments, toward the star on top. 

9.         Carolling in London

 The scene fades, and in the place of the star we see a group of candle flames held by ruddy-faced carollers in London.  They are singing the same song as the American family -- but their trained voices are richer and more harmonized.  We rise up to about roof level and watch our carollers as they move through the city streets.  Below and all around we see a panorama of the city: Big Ben, the Houses of Parliament, bright decorations, last-minute shoppers.  We float down again and join the interested group of youngsters that has gathered around the carollers.  We peek over their shoulders as the singers arrive at one typically English house and sing outside.  The door is opened to reveal a British family Christmas complete with mistletoe and puddings.  "Merry Christmases" are exchanged.  The door is closed, revealing a christmas wreath. 

 10.       New Year Celebration in Japan

The scene fades out.  When it fades back up, the door is now the entrance to a Japanese home, and the wreath has become a bamboo kado-matsu -- a traditional Japanese new year's decoration.  The door flies open in our faces, and we are nearly trampled by a Japanese family hurrying out to celebrate the new year.  We join the family, running to the Buddhist temple where a crowd has gathered to count out the 108 strokes of the bell which signify the coming of the new year.  We hear the voices of our family and many others calling out the numbers as they near midnight.  We rise up to the bell tower, and watch as the bell peals.  Among the sound of the bell comes the voice of our narrator, who helps us to understand the special joy of this New Year's tradition.  The scene fades out.

 11.       Kwanzaa in an American City  

The sound of the bell becomes the sound of drums beating.  We see hands coming down toward us, then the camera pulls away fast to reveal that we are at a Kwaanza celebration in the home of an African American family.  The drums are congas being beaten by young children dressed in African clothing.  The adults call to the children, and we join the youngsters as they take turns lighting the candles on the kinara, a candle holder designed for the celebration of Kwanzaa.  Together, the family says the seven Swahili words -- one for each candle -- that mean unity, self-determination, responsibility, cooperation, purpose, creativity and faith.  Their voices intertwine with that of the narrator, who helps us better understand the meaning of Kwaanza.  Then, after a moment of solemnity, the irrepressible congas start up again and we whirl away, joining the family as they dance and clap to the beat.

 12.       The Nutcracker

 We fade down on the congas.  When we fade up again we are still looking at drums -- but this time they are the timpani of a symphony orchestra.  We are in the orchestra pit during a performance of "The Nutcracker."  We watch the movements of the musicians and the conductor, then peek up at stage level to watch the dancers.  At first, we see only feet twirling and leaping.  Then, as we "stand up," we can see little "Clara," cuddling the nutcracker like a baby, during the first scene of the ballet (featuring young children dancing).  With her, we watch the ballet unfold.  Clara is given a special little bed for her "injured" nutcracker, and she lays her "baby" down.

 13.       A Time of New Beginnings

 The scene fades, but the music continues.  Behind the music, a voice explains that this is the time of year for new beginnings... new hopes... and renewed faith in the spirit of light.  Around the world, it is a time for children and for families.  Behind Tchaikovsky's spirited music, we see a montage of international scenes of parents and children of all races -- children opening gifts, singing, dancing, throwing snowballs, playing with dradles, etc.  We are among the children, falling in the snow, leaping in the air, etc.  After several very active images, the children become tired; the music slows.  We see heads drooping, humorous scenes of youngsters dropping off to sleep at their play.  Finally, we see a montage of international scenes of fathers, mothers and grandparents carrying children of two or three years old off to bed.  The scene fades.

 14.       Conclusion; Coming of Light; Credits

 We are back in the cold winter weather of North America, watching parents watching their baby asleep in a cradle.  A crackling fire provides the only light and sound.  We see the flames leap, then we are outside watching the embers fly from the chimney of a much-decorated home.  We look up at the cold, starry sky.  Once again we hear the sound of our flute -- but this time it is playing a traditional holiday tune.  It is joined by other traditional instruments, creating a full, lively song.  A seasonal greeting appears -- perhaps "may the light fill your homes and hearts in this holiday season." 

Credits run.