Christmas is all about goodwill, cheer and happiness. This wonderful festival, filled with love and joy, is celebrated every year on December 25 to mark the anniversary of the birth of baby Jesus. When one thinks of Christmas, one is reminded of the Lord, the presents, decorations and Santa Claus. The story of the Grinch revolves around the theme of Christmas and how it is 'not' about the presents. "The Grinch Who Stole Christmas" is a book written by Dr. Seuss which has now become a very popular Christmas tale. It tells us a story of how the Grinch came into the homes of people and stole all their presents and decorations in the hope that they would cancel Christmas. The story serves as a reminder to everyone that the festival is celebrated to commemorate the birth of Jesus Christ and is not just about gifts and treats alone; it is also about love, warmth and the spirit of sharing.
The One Who Stole Christmas
The Story
The Grinch was a horrible and vile creature with a heart that was "two sizes too small". He lived in a cave on top of Mt. Crumpit, which was about 190 meters high and lay north of Whoville, a little village, filled with happy little people called 'Whos'. According to the story by Dr. Seuss, Whoville is actually situated inside a snowflake. The Grinch's only friend was a dog called Max. From his perch, the Grinch saw that the Whos were having a lot of fun and were all merry because Christmas was around the corner. He could not understand this happiness and decided to cancel Christmas. His plan was to go into town and steal all their presents, decorations and 'Who-hash'. Towards the end though, he realizes that though he took everything away from the Whos, their Christmas spirit could not be taken. They were still happy and Christmas could not be stopped from being celebrated. This is when he realizes that Christmas is not about the presents and decorations and is thoroughly touched by this revelation. After learning this lesson, his heart grows "three sizes bigger" and he returns everything and is also forgiven by the people of Whoville.
Appearance
In the movies, the Grinch is portrayed as a green and ugly being with creamy white eyes. He wears a Santa suit when he decides to steal all the Christmas goodies. In Dr. Seuss book, the Grinch is described as a mutated green chimpanzee.
Facts About The Movie, 'How The Grinch Stole Christmas'
'The Grinch' is a tale about a green and vile Christmas creature that wanted to steal Christmas. Read onto to find out more about the Christmas character!
The Grinch
- The movie cost more than $115 million to produce.
- Eddie Murphy and Jack Nicholson were considered to play the part of the Grinch but it ultimately went to Jim Carrey.
- The costume for Jim Carrey, who played the Grinch, was made from yak hair which was dyed green and sewn onto a spandex suit.
- It took 3 hours to apply Jim Carrey’s makeup.
- Grinch was not always green. In the book, he was black and white with splashes of red and pink.
- The TV movie director Chuck Jones, decided to make the Grinch green because he had driven many ugly rental cars in that particular color.
- The Grinch has been translated into numerous languages including Latin.
- Dr. Seuss was 53 years old when he wrote the book; the same age as the Grinch.
- In the book, the ‘Whos’ are naked and don’t even have shoes except for the ladies, who have high heeled shoes.
- Anthony Hopkins finished recording the entire narration of the movie in one day.
- No movie has had so many characters with so much makeup since the Wizard of Oz.
The story of the Grinch is a sweet and charming tale. It is about the spirit of Christmas that we sometimes tend to forget in the hustle and bustle of the holiday season. When you read the book, you are reminded of how important it is to be loving and kind to others and to enjoy the season that is filled with warmth despite the piercing cold outside.