You know Dasher and Dancer and Prancer and Vixen, Comet and Cupid and Donner and Blitzen. You most definitely recall the most famous reindeer of all, Rudolph. But do you know Cindy Lou Who, the young girl who single-handedly saved Christmas?

At first glance, Lou Who may seem like an average little girl living in the small town of Whoville. However, she quickly separates herself from the rest of the Whos after she decides to give the Grinch a chance to be joyful and kind, despite the rest of her town shunning him. The Grinch, who is viewed by the Whos as a green monster, hates Christmas, in part due to his unusually small heart. Although he lives at the top of a mountain, isolated from everyone else, Lou Who makes it her mission to discover as much information about the Grinch as she can in order to uncover what led him to become evil.

Her investigation starts after she encounters the Grinch in her dad’s post office. The Grinch, who was originally there to mix up all of the post, saves Lou Who after she falls into the sorting machine. This leads Lou Who to wonder why everyone assumes that the Grinch is so bad.

“If the Grinch was so bad, then why did he save me? Maybe he wasn’t so bad,” Lou Who said.

Meanwhile, Lou Who has been experiencing some conflicting feelings regarding Christmas. In Whoville, the significance of the holiday seems to have shifted from a day in which everyone celebrates joy and togetherness to a day that revolves around presents and other material objects. Because of this, she understands why the Grinch might also be reluctant to celebrate Christmas.

“I myself was having some yuletide doubts,” Lou Who said.

After hearing that the Grinch was bullied at his childhood Christmas gift exchange, Lou Who decides to nominate him for the Cheermeister, an extremely honorable award given annually in Whoville.

“No matter how different a Who may appear, he will always be welcomed with holiday

cheer… [The Cheermeister] goes to the soul who needs it most… that soul is the Grinch,” Lou Who said.

She then takes her actions a step further by travelling to the top of the Grinch’s mountain in order to deliver his invitation to receive the award. However, when he arrives at the ceremony, things take a turn for the worst after Mayor Augustus Maywho purposely aggravates the Grinch by reminding him of the bullying he experienced as a child. He then proposes to Martha May Whovier, the girl whom the Grinch has been in love with for years. This infuriates the Grinch, reversing all of Lou Who’s efforts, and so the Grinch returns on Christmas Eve and steals all of the Whos’ presents.

He runs into Lou Who while she is going downstairs to get a glass of water. Thinking the Grinch is Santa, she asks him to make sure to remember to give a gift to the Grinch.

“Santa, don’t forget the Grinch. I know he’s mean and hairy and smelly, his hands might be cold and clammy, but I think he is actually kind of sweet,” Lou Who said.

In doing this Lou Who proves that she is compassionate towards everyone despite their flaws. No matter what the rest of the town thinks, Lou Who maintains an open heart towards the Grinch.

When the people of Whoville find out that their presents have been stolen, they immediately assume that Christmas is ruined, and they blame Lou Who and her family for inviting the Grinch to celebrate with them. But Lou Who knows that Christmas is not just about presents, and she works to convince the rest of the town to shy away from a materialistic view of the holiday. She succeeds in conveying the true message that Christmas is not measured by tangible items, but is rather embodied by a spirit of giving and joy.

After the town realizes what the true meaning of Christmas is, the Grinch looks on at the Whos singing merrily, even without their presents. He is touched by this as he recognizes that Christmas does not revolve around gifts, and his heart grows three sizes. Then Lou Who travels again to the top of the mountain, and together she and the Grinch return the stolen items to Whoville.

While most people would boast of uniting their town and saving Christmas, Lou Who focuses mainly on her achievement of helping the Grinch and making him feel loved despite their differences. And most of all, Lou Who was excited that she made a new friend to celebrate the holiday with.

“No one should be alone on Christmas,” Lou Who said.

Although Whoville may be a microscopic town that rests on a snowflake, the lesson that Lou Who teaches everyone is significant and something that everyone should keep in mind this holiday season.