The other night I saw the end of the old '60s Rankin-Bass cartoon Frosty the Snowman, and it made me wonder why there aren't more Chanukah TV specials. And I think I might have just the Chanukah version of Frosty the Snowman: Chaim the Chanukah Candle. And it could play out similarly to Frosty, with a magical Chanukah candle who only wants to help his friends celebrate Chanukah, but some mean old fire marshal always wants to extinguish him, claiming he's a fire hazard (!). And so the animated cartoon holiday special would show us Chaim's narrow escapes from the ferocious fire marshal until finally he gets sprayed with a fire hose and goes out. Oh, but the magic of Chanukah rekindles his flame, and just in time for him to join his eight other Chanukah candles for the last night of Chanukah! (Chaim is the middle candle in the Menorah.)
And there would have to be some catchy song for everyone to hum to themselves that nobody could ever get out of their head, no matter how hard they try, like the one for Frosty the Snowman. Like, maybe something like this:
Chaim the Chanukah Candle, always burned with holiday cheer,
Burning to his end with his eight good friends at this festive time of year.
He burns with glowing light, on the eight long Chanukah nights,
And his light gives you a lift, while you give your Chanukah gifts.
(Etc.)
