»Three Hazelnuts for Cinderella« is a TV classic during the Christmas holidays

Photo: DPA/ WDR

Christmas Eve is considered to be the least popular television day of the year. And yet there are some rituals: Whether it's "Sissi", "Home Alone" or the "Feuerzangenbowle" – all these classics are an integral part of the TV programme on 24 December. A film that has also achieved cult status in the past across almost all generations is »Three Hazelnuts for Cinderella«.

And this year, the classic celebrates a special anniversary: almost exactly 50 years ago, on November 16, 1973, the film was released in Czechoslovak cinemas for the first time. The GDR premiere took place about five months later. Even today, the story of the clever Cinderella inspires young and old.

More than two years after the death of Libuše Šafránková – the actress played the role of Cinderella – the film will be shown a total of 3 times on German television from 6 December to 16 January on nine different channels.

And that's not all: the Christmas classic can also be seen in sign language. According to MDR, this makes the film one of around 50 fairy tales that will be equipped with DGS (German Sign Language). In addition, the fairy tale can also be accessed on Netflix, Paramount+, Amazon Prime and Apple TV and in the ARD media library.

In the Czech Republic, where the story of Cinderella has been partially filmed, the film is also very popular. Safránková, who has to deal with her sadistic stepmother as Cinderella, became famous all of a sudden. At the end of the film, the self-confident young woman conquers the prince's heart – and three magical hazelnuts help her in the process.

»Three Hazelnuts for Cinderella« is a retelling of the Cinderella fairy tale by the Brothers Grimm, and the film has been shown in West Germany since 1975. Since then, it has been just as much a part of the Christmas program as "Dinner for One" is of the New Year's Eve program.

Here you can find all dates for »Three Hazelnuts for Cinderella« on German television:

December 10

12:30 p.m.: HR
14:00 p.m.: RBB
15:40 p.m.: SWR

December 16

12:35 p.m.: NDR

December 17

15:50 p.m.: MDR

December 24

13:15 p.m.: Das Erste
15:05 p.m.: NDR
20:15 p.m.: WDR

December 25

09:40 a.m.: Das Erste
16:35 p.m.: MDR
23:00 p.m.: SWR

December 26

16:35 p.m.: RBB

December 31

12:00 p.m.: Kika
20:15 p.m.: HR

January 6

11:15 a.m.: BR

Bam