The Christmas season is not just a time for exchanging gifts and spreading cheer. It’s also a time for watching Christmas movies. A lot of Christmas movies. Over the years, certain films have become perennial holiday favorites: ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’, ‘Miracle on 34th Street’, ‘A Christmas Story’, ‘White Christmas’ and more. Which of these are your favorites to watch every year? Vote after the break.
For my part, I’m a big fan of ‘A Christmas Story’. When that runs in a 24-hour marathon on cable every year, I usually wind up watching it at least a few times. Other personal favorites include ‘Bad Santa’, ‘Miracle on 34th Street’, ‘The Nightmare Before Christmas’ and ‘Die Hard’.
I’ve tried to include a broad selection of films in the poll below. I even threw in a few famous TV specials. But this list is by no means definitive. If you vote “Other,” be sure to tell us in the Comments what titles I missed.
You may vote for as many options as you’d like.
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EM
I voted for The Grinch Who Stole Christmas, thinking it an anagram of How the Grinch Stole Christmas!, as I love to watch the TV special (which I have on disc). (I’ve never bothered to see the theatrical version.)
I also voted for A Charlie Brown Christmas, A Christmas Carol (viz., the 1951 Scrooge), A Christmas Story, It’s a Wonderful Life (the film original), and Miracle on 34th Street (ditto).
Additionally, I like to put on ambient videos. For several years I’ve put on a video yule log, but recently I’ve branched out to titles such as A Stained Glass Christmas, The Christmas Lights DVD, and Trippin’ on Christmas. Usually I accompany these with CDs of Christmas material.
Some of those Christmasy CDs are related to Christmas movies and specials. I have soundtracks to almost all the selections I voted for in this poll. I also have recordings of old-time radio “remakes” of various Christmas movies (formerly a common staple, as on the series Lux Radio Theater), in which, for example, you can hear Jimmy Stewart and Donna Reed in a one-hour version of It’s a Wonderful Life.
Josh Zyber
AuthorD’oh! Yes, that’s what I meant. The Grinch title has been corrected. Thanks.
Shayne Blakeley
I picked several, and would also add Jingle All The Way and The Christmas Toy. I must see Frosty the Sandman.
Shayne Blakeley
http://www.deviantart.com/download/107375106/Death_and_Sandman_in_Snow_by_DivaLea.png
JM
We also watch ‘The Ref’ and ‘The Snowman.’
William Henley
I agree with “The Snowman”. I nearly forgot about it, I will have to dig it out and watch it.
Chad Lawless
I voted “Christmas Vacation”, but “It’s A Wonderful Life”, “Scrooged” and “Christmas Story” always get a viewing too.
My other “Must Watch” is the episode of Married With Children entitled “It’s A Bundyful Life”, featuring Sam Kinison as Al’s guardian angel.
(Sam): “I’m a guardian angel. I’m looking for an Al Bundy.”
(Ed O’Neil): “I’m Al Bundy.”
(Sam): {pauses,looks to Heaven} “Noooooooooooooo!”
Can’t miss!
HuskerGuy
We watch the wife’s movie, National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation and then we watch my movie, The Family Man.
William Henley
White Christmas is something we always watch on Christmas Eve. I hated it as a kid, but now that I am an adult and actually understand what the movie is about, I love it.
The Nightmare Before Christmas is a Halloween tradition for us.
Santa Claus: The Movie was a tradition as a kid, but that kind of died when our tape got eaten. I picked it up last year on Blu-Ray, and its on the tradition list again!
This may sound weird, but the Harry Potter movies is starting to become a holiday tradition. I think ABC Family kinda started this tradition with me. Actually, I start The Sorceror’s Stone every year on Thanksgiving, because my first date with that special someone happened with that movie on Thanksgiving 2001, and then I work my way through December with the following movies.
I have other movies I watch, such as Rodolf, Frosty, a few different versions of A Christmas Carol (I watched Micky’s Christmas Carol about a week ago, and Scrooge before that (the one from the 70s, not the one with Bill Murry), and will probably watch the Jim Carry one tonight), and so forth, but those are not really what I would call “traditions” – they are movies that I work in after I watch all my others. I may watch Gremlins in a couple of days – I was actually thinking about that today.