Whether it’s Will Ferrell hamming it up as an overgrown elf, Alastair Sim uttering Scrooge’s iconic ‘humbug’, Grandma’s fateful Christmas Eve walk home or Bing and Bowie crooning about Peace on Earth, everyone, it seems, has a special movie or a song that signals to them that Christmas time has arrived.
We asked our Facebook readers which movies and songs are a must see/must hear for them to get the holiday season into full swing and have compiled a number of their responses here.
It’s seems that plenty of people count on the old classics — White Christmas, Miracle on 34th Street — and cartoon characters they loved as a child — from the Grinch to Charlie Brown — to get them into the spirit.
But ‘classic’ is a relative term. For many, A Christmas Story (You’ll shoot your eye out!), Christmas Vacation and even Die Hard (Yippee ki-yay), though only a few decades old, are the films that generate fond holiday memories.
Check out some of the answers below to see if any of your favourites made the list. If not, go ahead and add them in the comments.
For me, it isn’t Christmas until I’ve seen Frosty the Snowman — the original, Home Alone, The Grinch and Christmas with the Kranks and the songs I need to hear are The First Noel and White Christmas. – Amanda Emans
It isn’t Christmas without the Black and white version of A Christmas Carol and my favourite carol O Holy Night – Barbara Biggs
I absolutely must listen to the Andy Williams Christmas Album and the Amy Grant Home for Christmas album, and I absolutely must watch Elf and The Polar Express and Christmas Eve on Sesame Street. It’s simply not Christmas without those. – Corry Aune-Hill
For me, it isn’t Christmas until I’ve seen the movie National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation and Deck the Halls and heard the song Frosty the Snowman. – Sheena Abid
It isn’t Christmas until I’ve seen Elf, The Santa Clause and How the Grinch Stole Christmas and/or heard these songs: Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer, and Santa Claus is Coming on a Boogie Woogie Choo Choo Train by the Tractors. – Jane Bradbury
Definitely the movie Elf or The Polar Express and Bing Crosby’s It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas. These are Christmas to me. – Jennifer Cook Ries
It isn’t Christmas until I’ve watched Elf with my grandma and heard Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer while decorating my grandma’s tree. – Kaitlin Peters
I have to start Christmas with A Christmas Carol starring Alistair Sim, soon followed by The Santa Clause. – Karen Dallas Neufeld
For me it isn’t Christmas until I’ve seen Miracle on 34th Street (1947 my favourite) and The Santa Clause and I’ve heard It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas (Bing Crosby) and the Little Drummer Boy by Boney M. – Janice Jolly Smith
Until I’ve seen Die Hard and Home Alone. Heard lots of Elvis Christmas, preferably on vinyl. – Melanie Stewart
A Christmas Story and David Bowie and Bing Crosby’s Peace on Earth/Little Drummer Boy. – Diane Thompson
Muppet Christmas Carol and anything by Michael Buble. – Lana McCarney
The Grinch cartoon version and Merry Christmas, Mr. Bean and sing Do they Know it’s Christmas and Something About Christmas Time by Bryan Adams. – Kathy Sweeney-Hunter.
How the Grinch Stole Christmas and It’s a Charlie Brown Christmas and Silent Night. Loved these growing up. – Pearl Poon
The movie A Christmas Story and the song All I Want for Christmas is You by Mariah. – Melanka Moore
Until I’ve seen Elf or heard Christmas is Starting Now by Big Bad Voodoo Daddy. – Maryanne Eyers
Scrooge … the 1951 version. – Bob Long
Die Hard, Christmas Vacation and How the Grinch Stole Christmas/The Jackson 5 Christmas Album. – Melissa McKimmie
For me, it isn’t Christmas until I’ve seen Christmas with the Kranks, Home Alone; (and heard) Jingle Bells, I’m Dreaming of a White Christmas – Andrew Joseph Dick
For me, it isn’t Christmas until I’ve seen: How the Grinch stole Christmas, Elf and The Santa Clause and listened to Mariah Carey’s Christmas album. – Kim Nezezon
I have to watch It’s a Wonderful Life while filling stockings on Christmas Eve. I have to hear The Trans Siberian Orchestra. It sends goose bumps up my spine. – Hilary Furnell
It’s not Christmas for me until I’ve seen Love Actually and heard Michael Bublé Christmas songs over and over again in every store and on the radio – Sarah Dineen
Until I’ve seen Elf or heard Christmas is Starting Now by Big Bad Voodoo Daddy. – Maryanne Eyers
For me it isn’t Christmas until I’ve seen The Ref, Die Hard 1&2 and heard the whole album John Denver and The Muppets Christmas – Christine McAllister
For me, it isn’t Christmas until I’ve seen White Christmas and heard Michael W. Smith’s Gloria (Angels We have Heard on High) – Melissa Mae
Elf and Let It Be Christmas by Alan Jackson – Lisa Goetz Yasuda
Christmas Vacation and Home Alone 2. For music the Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers Christmas CD – Amanda Watters
The Grinch, Jim Carrey version, and Baby It’s Cold Outside – Brandon Forsyth
For me it’s not Christmas till I’ve seen the movie National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation. – Jaime Dickson
It isn’t Christmas until I have watched Elf and heard White Christmas – Heather Rae
A Christmas Story and Boney M and Elvis Christmas albums. – Kristi Bear
A Christmas Story movie, Andy Williams Christmas Special and Bing Crosby’s White Christmas – Anna Towle
Elf and A Christmas Carol, Silent Night and Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer. – Susan Shorting
A Christmas Story, Santa Claus is Coming On the Boogie Woogie Choo Choo Train (by the Tractors) – Ashley Muche
For me it’s not Christmas until I’ve seen A Christmas Story and Elf and have heard the song The First Noel. – Stella Loretan
Christmas Vacation with Chevy Chase and heard the song Where Are You Christmas or Silent Night. – Kendel Collins
Santa Claus (the first one with Tim Allen) and listened to It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas. – Moira Kremyr
A Christmas Story, and Boney M: Mary’s Boy Child – Marnie Finnigan Wilson
For me it’s not Christmas until I’ve seen the movie White Christmas and heard the song White Christmas – Jaime Elizabeth Sopel
Watched Home Alone 2 and listened to All I want for Christmas is You by Mariah Carey. — Kay Miller
Christmas Vacation, Love Actually, Black Adder’s Christmas Carol and/or heard Slade, Roy Wood, Band Aid, Status Quo – IWay Driving School
A Christmas Carol, Little Drummer Boy and Silent Night, O Holy Night. – Ann Stammers
For me it is not Christmas until I see Charlie’s Brown’s Christmas and the song is Jingle Bells – Arlene Paranych
Die Hard movies as well as Bad Santa. Could care less about songs. — Richard Guerrinha
Movie is Silent Night (great movie); song is Jingle Bells – Duane Stammers
It’s not Christmas for me until I’ve watched A Christmas Story and Elf and heard O Christmas Tree. — Ava Leippi