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Christmas program in BASIC: flashing Christmas tree on the C64
For this Christmas 2025 I decided to give a small gift to all retrocomputing enthusiasts: a Christmas program for Commodore 64, in BASIC v2, which draws a flashing Christmas tree on the screen, perfect for both the real computer and for an emulator.
I made the video that shows the final result: the music you hear is not played by the software, but I added it in post-production...
Ah, I almost forgot, for those who want to create a real Christmas tree connected to the Commodore 64, here is my project.
Christmas program in BASIC for the Commodore 64
This listing is meant to be:
- simple to type;
- compatible with Commodore 64 real and emulators (VICE, CCS64, for example);
- also ideal as a teaching exercise for those learning BASIC.
The program:
- cleans the screen;
- prints the message MERRY CHRISTMAS;
- draw a Christmas tree with asterisks;
- animate the lights by randomly changing the colors of the asterisks.
BASIC Listing: Flashing Christmas Tree on the Commodore 64
Copy and type the following listing directly into your Commodore 64 (or into an emulator like VICE or CCS64):
10 PRINT CHR$(147)
20 FOR I=1 TO 15
30 PRINT
40 NEXT I
50 PRINT TAB(12) "MERRY CHRISTMAS!"
60 PRINT
70 PRINT "{green}"
80 FOR I=1 TO 10
90 PRINT TAB(20-I);
100 FOR J=1 TO I*2-1
110 PRINT CHR$(42);
120 NEXT J
130 PRINT
140 NEXT I
150 PRINT TAB(18) "{brown}***" : REM TRUNK
160 PRINT TAB(18) "***"
170 PRINT TAB(18) "***"
180 PRINT
190 PRINT
200 PRINT TAB(5) "{white} ValorosoIT - www.valoroso.it"
210 PRINT "{light blue}"
220 PRINT
250 X=INT(RND(1)*20)+10
260 Y=INT(RND(1)*12)+4
270 IF PEEK(1024+Y*40+X)<>42 THEN GOTO 250
280 C=INT(RND(1)*4)+1
290 POKE 55296+Y*40+X, C
300 FOR T=1 TO 100: NEXT T
310 POKE 55296+Y*40+X, 5
320 GOTO 250
Note: Color names in curly brackets ({green}, {brown}, etc…) only work correctly if you type the corresponding color key on the Commodore 64.
The listing is written in standard BASIC V2 and requires no additional libraries or cartridges.
The program can be converted to PRG using C64List on a Windows PC. However, you will find the PRG and D64 files at the bottom of this page, ready for download.
Merry Christmas 2025 from ValorosoIT
Thanks to all of you who continue to follow the project, read the articles, watch the videos and keep the passion for vintage computers alive.
Merry Christmas and happy holidays 2025 from your Commodore 64... and from ValorosoIT!
Here are the files PRG and D64 to run on emulators and Commodore 64.