Yuletide celebrations and gatherings from another era are revisited in Christmas Past, a compilation of silent shorts with footage dating back as early as 1901. The true spirit of the season is revealed through these nine Christmas-themed shorts, with stories about giving and sharing, festive holiday parties and Santa Claus sightings. The recent addition of an original score by Al Kryszak further enhances the festive mood with familiar tunes like "Deck the Halls" and "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen." It's a nostalgic trip to simpler times, where just being together as a family was what mattered most.

After introducing how Santa and Mrs. Claus came to the North Pole and began their work delivering toys at Christmas time, this routine children's film segues into a story about an evil corporate magnate (John Lithgow). One of Santa's elves (Dudley Moore) goes to work for the nasty tycoon and invents a wild array of far-out toys. Then there is a little boy who does not believe in Santa Claus and a girl who finds out about the toymaker's plans to defraud his company. Santa's reindeer are a little under the weather, not to mention Santa himself. This labyrinth of subplots quickly draws attention away from the story, wherever it is.