Loading...
Loading...
Click here if you don’t see subscription options
Our readersDecember 14, 2018
National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (Flickr)

The most popular Christmas film among our respondents was “It’s a Wonderful Life,” which won nearly 30 percent of the vote. “I watch ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’ every year,” wrote Amanda Haas of Los Angeles, Calif., “and cry at a different part every time.”

Presented with 10 films and television specials, readers had a variety of favorites, including “Miracle on 34th Street,” “A Charlie Brown Christmas” and “The Muppet Christmas Carol.” Notably, “Frosty the Snowman” received zero votes.

Some respondents mentioned that sharing festive foods was part of their annual movie-watching traditions. Dena Whisler of Des Moines, Iowa, said she and her family enjoy “movie-theater-size boxes of candies while we watch ‘A Christmas Story.’”  Dina MacFarlane, from Dorset, Vt., said her family watches “A Charlie Brown Christmas” “while wrapping and cooking and baking and hanging out.”

Readers also suggested films that were not included in our survey, such as “Die Hard,” “White Christmas” and the 1984 version of “A Christmas Carol.”

Christmas movies evoke poignant memories. Patrice Critchley-Menor, from Duluth, Minn., likes “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation” because she used to watch it with her mother. “Even when Alzheimer’s took away her memory and speech, she always remembered the Mass prayers and the lines from this movie.”

More: Films
Comments are automatically closed two weeks after an article's initial publication. See our comments policy for more.
Anne Couture
6 years 1 month ago

It's a wonderful life is one of my favorite Christmas films. When I worked from home as a freelancer for custom writing service I could spend lots of time watching Christmas themed films at home. One of my favorite is Love actually .Even working full time, I try to spend my weekends watching some magical films before Christmas to feel the spirit of it.

The latest from america

Residents walk by charred vehicles in Goma, Democratic Republic of the Congo, on Jan. 31. (AP Photo/Moses Sawasawa)
Approximately six million people have died in the conflict in the eastern D.R.C. since 1996. For decades, numerous armed groups have competed for power and control of this vast nation’s potential fortune.
Russell Pollitt, S.J.February 06, 2025
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers attach a chain to a detained person on Jan. 27 in Silver Spring, Md. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
In the face of dangerous nativism and the possibility of state violence through deportation, the church will be challenged to offer a compelling and credible response.
Dylan CorbettFebruary 06, 2025
Speaking at a pair of events in Washington surrounding the the National Prayer Breakfast, President Donald Trump announced that he is forming a task force led by Attorney General Pam Bondi to investigate the “targeting” of Christians.
With interest in a papal elections high thanks to the Oscar-nominated film “Conclave, ” Pope Francis decided to extend the term of the 91-year-old dean of the College of Cardinals rather than make way for someone new.