In 1987, a legend was born: A Garfield Christmas Special. As a child of the ‘80s, I remember this program extensively, and I still watch it every year with my family. There’s not a better way to get into the Christmas spirit than watching cynical Garfield, dopey Odi, and clueless Jon.

The Garfield crew travel to the country to enjoy a fun Christmas with Jon’s family, which includes Dad, Doc Boy, and Grandma, who eventually forms a bond with the orange cat. Odi presents Garfield with the best present ever: a homemade back scratcher. And Garfield shows a gentle side when he presents a bundle of found letters to Grandma that turn out to be love letters from her late husband.

This special is rare in the fact that it shows another side of our beloved Garfield: a loving, grateful side that is in tune with the Christmas spirit.

A Garfield Christmas Special, along with other specials featuring Charlie Brown and the other kids from Peanuts, is sure to get your household in the holiday spirit. While in previous years, the program has been aired on CBS and released on DVD through Fox, this year it can be seen on ABC Family, during their 25 Days of Christmas programming. I don’t know about you, but I’m setting my DVR to record this Christmas classic.