Dolly Parton Recalls a Christmas Eve Bonfire to Flag Down Santa

Dolly Parton's humble beginnings are well-known, but the singer never runs out of stories about how she and her siblings would make the most of the very little they had. One year, that included a bonfire meant for Santa Claus that turned into one of the greatest Christmas Eves she can recall.

“Daddy used to tell us," Parton recalls in the above video, "that we lived so far back in the woods that Santa couldn’t find us. So that explained why we never got the gifts that the other kids did.”

Parton and her siblings decided they'd build a big fire and light up her surroundings on the night before Christmas. Surely Santa wouldn't miss that, right? For two months they collected twigs and logs and had it set to go on Dec. 24.

“We did set the big bonfire, and Daddy saw the big fire and said, ‘What in the world is going on. Who set that fire?’”

The singer's mother made the most of it, turning would could have been another disappointment into a great feast. Watch the video to learn the full story. You're sure to find others like it when Dolly Parton's Coat of Many Colors airs on NBC Thursday night (Dec. 10) at 9PM ET. The made-for-television movie is based on Parton's childhood, with Jennifer Nettles starring as the singer's mother.

Parton's fans can also enter to win the "Coat of Many Colors" Sweepstakes for a chance at a trip for four to the Great Smokey Mountains. In addition to lodging, passes to Dollywood, a "Coat of Many Colors" merchandise pack and a $1,000 gift card, the winner will get to tour the mountain home she grew up in. Click here to enter.

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