A red bow here… a red bow there… oh! How can I forget this spot? To me, red bows scream Christmas, even more so if it includes a gift trimmed with ribbons, or rather, has a ribbon. Thinking about what to get your partner for Christmas? Well, how about a cocker spaniel! Jim Dear and Darling can tell you what all the hype is about in Lady and the Tramp (1955). But hey, who’s to say that love can only exist between humans? Picture this: a story about a pampered uptown pup and a scrappy downtown mutt. How cliché, right? The classic “opposites attract” trope never does get old. However, this movie produced by Walt Disney isn’t just a mere romance film, it is bookended by Christmas! For starters, it both starts and ends under a dazzling Christmas tree.

Once upon a time, over a snowy suburb, Jim Dear gifts his wife, Darling, a cocker spaniel puppy adorned with a cute little bow around her neck. Oh, what a perfectly beautiful little Lady. As she grows up, Lady delights in a life with the couple and a pair of dogs from the area, Jock the Scottish terrier and the bloodhound Trusty. Whilst across town near the railway, a free-spirited stray silver mutt, Tramp, yearns for a place to call home, be it by scrounging local restaurants for scraps or safeguarding his comrades, Peg the Pekingese and Bull the Bulldog, from the neighborhood dogcatcher.

Everybody says that a man’s best friend is a dog, but then why have Jim Dear and Darling started to treat Lady rather.. coldly? Well, it turns out that they treated her this way because Darling was expecting a baby. Lady’s idyllic life goes downhill after Aunt Sarah arrives, as Lady’s owners decide to go on a little getaway and bring her troublesome Siamese cats — Si and Am — with her. Aunt Sarah dislikes Lady, for which I will never understand because how can you hate something as cute and charming as Lady?

A frightened Lady runs away soon after feeling neglected and mistreated. There she meets Tramp, who rescues her from the stray dogs that were pursuing her. Shortly after, Tramp introduces Lady to his “footloose and collar-free” lifestyle, starting with a candlelit dinner in an Italian restaurant.

Now, what can be even more romantic than a candlelit spaghetti dinner with your loved one? Ah, the iconic spaghetti scene, how adorable was that! So much so that it became an often-parodied scene and was recreated in many films such as 101 Dalmatians: The Series, Lilo and Stitch, and Gravity Falls. The background music “Bella Notte” during that scene made the atmosphere even more romantic. While the song is really a love song, it is used as a Christmas song as well, adding to the Christmassy feel of the movie. That night, the skies weren’t the only one with stars in their eyes, but Lady and Tramp as well.

Their adventure took a turn for the worse when the Lady was caught by the local dogcatcher and was placed in the pound temporarily. I have to admit, seeing the dogs locked inside the pound pulled my heartstrings a little bit, it was so upsetting seeing them locked behind bars all because they were strays. Anyhow, for the short time Lady spent in the pound she heard rumors about Tramp’s “past sweethearts”. But her reunion with Tramp crushed all rumors to the ground as she began to see his true character when he selflessly protected both her and the baby — Jim Jr. — from a vicious rat. Tramp’s heroism wins the trust of Lady’s owners and grants him a spot in their little family. The story ends on the same day — December 25, Christmas day — one year apart. Tramp and Lady lived happily ever after with their puppies under the very same spot where the story began.

What I really love about this film is that Lady and Tramp are from vastly different worlds, yet they managed to see what is in the heart of the other. Lady is a pup who comes from a perfect family who feeds her the finest foods and spoils her rotten. Meanwhile, Tramp lives on leftovers from restaurants and doesn’t have a roof over his head. But Tramp made it his duty to protect Lady and her family at all costs the moment he fell for her. It’s really amazing how someone can continue to surprise you should a sincere connection between you have been made. Love transcends differences, a message wonderfully conveyed through a kid’s movie.

“There is a great big hunk of world down there with no fence around it.” - Tramp. 

One word: EXPLORE. Getting out of your comfort zone. Sounds scary, right? I would say that I’m like Lady who never really left the comfort of her home. Sure, she lives a lavish life but it’s the same thing over and over again, isn’t it? She doesn’t know there’s a whole world out there waiting for her. But Tramp… he opens that fence gate for her. He shows Lady what an unmuzzled and carefree life looks like on the other side of the fence. Exploring and getting out there.. the thought is scary and beautiful at the same time. But maybe we’re all like Lady who just needs someone to hold our hand, or in their case, paw, to help us jump over the fence.

While not explicitly a Christmas movie, the festive imagery— snowfall, a homey old-fashioned fireplace, old school style homes, and overall cozy atmosphere portrays the distinctive feature that pop culture has set for Christmas. Its overarching themes of love, family, and togetherness captures the magic and spirit of Christmas, making it a holiday classic and a must-watch for families during the season. One thing is for sure, this movie makes me wish I had my own little Lady under the Christmas tree.