Top 12 Stories of Christmas

1. The Original Christmas Story: The Nativity of Jesus, Gospel of Luke & Gospel of Matthew, The Bible

2. “The Nutcracker and the Mouse King” (by E. T. A. Hoffmann – 1816) – The Nutcracker

3. ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas (by Clement Clarke Moore – 1837)

4. A Christmas Carol (by Charles Dickens – 1843)

5. Miracle on 34th Street (1947)

6. White Christmas (1954)

7. Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer (1964)

8. A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965)

9. Frosty the Snowman (1969)

10. Mickey’s Christmas Carol (1983)

11. National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation (1989)

12. The Nativity Story (2006)

Top Christmas Movies (in chronological order of release):

1. Miracle on 34th Street (1947)

2. White Christmas (1954)

3. National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation (1989)

Local shout out: Prancer (1989) – Filmed in Three Oaks, Michigan!

4. The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992)

5. Elf (2003)

6. The Nativity Story (2006)

7. Joyeux Noël (Merry Christmas) (2006)

8. Noelle (2019)

9. Let It Snow (2019)

10. Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey (2020)

Top Christmas Cartoon Specials (in chronological order of release):

1. Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer (1964)

2. A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965)

3. How the Grinch Stole Christmas (1967)

4. Frosty the Snowman (1969)

5. Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town (1970)

6. The Year Without a Santa Claus (1974)

Honorable mention: Jack Frost (1979) (a winter special, not a Christmas special)

7. The Snowman (1982)

8. Mickey’s Christmas Carol (1983)

Halloween crossover: The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)

9. The Polar Express (2004)

10. Klaus (2019)

Top Movies & Specials Set During Christmas (in chronological order of release):

1. It’s a Wonderful Life (1946)

The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (1984–1985) "The Blue Carbuncle" — The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (1984–1985) “The Blue Carbuncle”

2. The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (1984) “The Blue Carbuncle”

3. Gremlins (1984)

4. Die Hard (1988)

5. Batman Returns (1992)

6. Agatha Christie’s Poirot “Hercule Poirot’s Christmas” (1994)

7. Chronicles of Narnia – The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe (2005)

Doctor Who "The Next Doctor" (2008) — Doctor Who “The Next Doctor” (2008)

8. Doctor Who (2005) Christmas Specials

- - “Voyage of the Damned” (2007) – Tenth Doctor with Astrid Peth vs. Heavenly Host on the Titanic
  - “The Next Doctor” (2008) – Tenth Doctor with Jackson Lake vs. Cybermen in Victorian London
  - “The End of Time” (2009) – Tenth Doctor with Wilfred Mott vs. the Master, featuring Rassilon
  - “The Doctor, the Widow and the Wardrobe” (2011) – Eleventh Doctor in World War II England
  - “The Snowmen” (2012) – Eleventh Doctor with Clara Oswald vs. the Great Intelligence
  - “The Husbands of River Song” (2015) – Twelfth Doctor with River Song vs. King Hydroflax

9. Iron Man 3 (2013)

10. Little Women (2019)

Special mention: The Star Wars Holiday Special (1978)

Top 50 Favorite Christmas Carols & Songs:

Early Nativity Christmas Carols

O Come, O Come, Emanuel (1499)
Angels We Have Heard on High (1700)
O Come All Ye Faithful (Adeste Fideles) (1751) (Bing Crosby 1942)
Silent Night (1818) (Bing Crosby 1935)
The First Noel (1833)
Joy to the World (1836)
Hark, the Herald Angels Sing (1840)

Bing Crosby record — Bing Crosby “Merry Christmas”

Later Nativity Christmas Carols

We Three Kings (1857)
Go Tell It on the Mountain (1865)
What Child is This? (1865)
O Little Town of Bethlehem (1868)
Away In a Manger (1887)
The Little Drummer Boy (1955)
Do You Hear What I Hear (1962) (Bing Crosby 1963)

Classic Christmas Carols

The Twelve Days of Christmas (1500)
We Wish You a Merry Christmas (1500)
Deck the Halls (1800) (Nat King Cole 1960)
O Christmas Tree (O Tannenbaum!) (1800)
Here We Come A-wassailing (Here We Come A-caroling) (1850)
Good King Wenceslaus (1853)
Jingle Bells (1857)

Meet Me in St. Louis poster — Meet Me in St. Louis movie poster – Starring Judy Garland

Mid-20th Century Christmas Songs

Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas (1943) (Judy Garland 1944)
I’ll Be Home for Christmas (1943) (Bing Crosby 1943)
The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire) (1945) (Nat King Cole 1953)
All I Want For Christmas is My Two Front Teeth (1948)
Mele Kalikimaka (1949) (Bing Crosby with The Andrews Sisters 1950)
Silver Bells (1950) (Bing Crosby & Carole Richards 1950)
Home For The Holidays (1954)

Modern Christmas Songs

Jingle Bell Rock (1957) (Bobby Helms 1957)
Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree (1958)
Kissin’ by the Mistletoe (1961) (Aretha Franklin)
Holly Jolly Christmas (1964) (Burl Ives)
Feliz Navidad (1970) (José Feliciano)
All I Want for Christmas is You (1994) (Mariah Carey)
Underneath the Tree (2013) (Kelly Clarkson)

Santa Christmas Songs

Up on the Housetop (1870)
Santa Claus Is Comin’ To Town (1934)
Rudolph, The Red-Nosed Reindeer (1939) (Gene Autry & the Pinafores 1949)
Here Comes Santa Claus (1947) (Gene Autry)
I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus (1952)
Santa Baby (1953)
Oh Santa! (2010) (Mariah Carey)

Winter Christmas Songs

Winter Wonderland (1934)
White Christmas (1940) (Bing Crosby 1942)
Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow! (1945)
Sleigh Ride (1948) (Dolly Parton 1984)
Frosty the Snowman (1950) (Gene Autry and the Cass County Boys 1950)
It’s Beginning to Look A Lot Like Christmas (1951)
The Most Wonderful Time of The Year (1963)

New Years Song

Auld Lang Syne (1711) (Peerless Quartet 1921)

Wizards in Winter (2004) (Trans-Siberian Orchestra)

More Christmas Songs

- Santa Claus Got Stuck in My Chimney (1950) (Ella Fitzgerald)
- Suzy Snowflake (1951) (Rosemary Clooney)
- The Night Before Christmas Song (1952) (Rosemary Clooney & Gene Autry)
- Happy Christmas, Little Friend (1953) (Rosemary Clooney)
- The Christmas Blues (1953) (Dean Martin)
- Christmas in New Orleans (1955) (Louis Armstrong with the Benny Carter Orchestra)
- Mistletoe and Holly (1957) (Frank Sinatra)
- Christmas Celebration (1963) (B. B. King)
- It’s Christmas Time All Over the World (1963) (Sammy Davis, Jr.)
- You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch (1966) (Thurl Ravenscroft)
- Thank God It’s Christmas (1984) (Queen)
- Last Christmas (1984) (Wham!)
- Song for a Winter’s Night (1994) (Sarah McLachlan)
- Christmas Canon (1998) (Trans-Siberian Orchestra)
- One Wish (for Christmas) (2003) (Whitney Houston)
- Wizards in Winter (2004) (Trans-Siberian Orchestra)
- Christmas Tree (2009) Lady Gaga featuring Space Cowboy
- Dreams of Fireflies (On a Christmas Night) (2012) (Trans-Siberian Orchestra)
- Underneath the Tree (2013) Kelly Clarkson
- Cozy Little Christmas (2018) Katy Perry

Thanksgiving

November (2024)

- 28 (Th): Thanksgiving
- 29 (Fr): Black Friday
- 30 (Sa): Small Business Saturday

Christmastide

December (2024)

Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree Lighting

- 1 (Su): First Sunday of Advent & National Christmas Lights Day (Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree Lighting)
- 2 (Mo): Cyber Monday, National Build Joy Day & Popping Corn Day
- 3 (Tu): Giving Tuesday, Make a Gift Day, National Apple Pie Day
- 4 (We): Santa’s List Day & National Cookie Day
- 5 (Th): Saint Nicholas’ Eve & Krampusnacht

Saint Nicholas Day
- 6 (Fr): Saint Nicholas Day & Mitten Tree Day
- 7 (Sa): Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day & Eve of the Immaculate Conception (Day of the Little Candles) & World Pear Day (First Saturday in December)
- 8 (Su): Immaculate Conception Day
- 9 (Mo): Lutefisk Day & Christmas Card Day
- 10 (Tu): Christmas Jumper Day
- 11 (We): Holiday Food Drive Day & Gingerbread House Eve
- 12 (Th): Day of Our Lady of Guadalupe & National Poinsettia Day

Saint Lucy’s Day, Sweden
- 13 (Fr): Saint Lucy’s Day & National Hot Cocoa Day
- 14 (Sa): Roast Chestnuts Day
- 15 (Su): National Lemon Cupcake Day

Las Posadas
- 16 (Mo): Las Posadas
- 17 (Tu): Saturnalia
- 18 (We): National Roast Suckling Pig Day & Bake Cookies Day
- 19 (Th): Holly Day
- 20 (Fr): Go Caroling Day & Games Day
- 20 or 21: Winter Solstice’s Eve
- 21 (Sa): Ribbon Candy Day & National Wreaths Across America Day (Third Saturday in December)
- 21 or 22: Yule (Winter Solstice) & Blue Christmas (Longest Night)
- 22 (Su): National Cookie Exchange Day & National Date Nut Bread Day
- 23 (Mo): National Christmas Movie Marathon Day & National Re-gifting Day

Christmas Eve Candlelight Service
- 24 (Tu): Christmas Eve
- 25 (We): Christmas Day; Hanukkah begins (2024)
- 26 (Th): Saint Stephen’s Day (“Good King Wenceslas” Christmas carol), Boxing Day, National Thank-You Note Day, & National Candy Cane Day; Kwanzaa begins
- 27 (Fr): Make Cut-Out Snowflakes Day & National Fruitcake Day
- 28 (Sa): Childermas (Holy Innocents’ Day) & Call a Friend Day
- 29 (Su): National Chocolate Day
- 30 (Mo): National Resolution Planning Day
- 31 (Tu): New Year’s Eve & Hogmanay

January (2025)

- 1 (We): New Year’s Day & Polar Bear Plunge Day; Kwanzaa ends
- 2 (Th): Celebration of Life Week; Hanukkah ends (2025)
- 3 (Fr): J.R.R. Tolkien Day & National Chocolate Covered Cherry Day
- 4 (Sa): Trivia Day & National Spaghetti Day
- 5 (Su): Twelfth Night (Epiphany Eve) & Monopoly Game Day
- 6 (Mo): Epiphany

Christmas Traditions

Christmas Decorations

- Nativity Creche (Saint Francis of Assisi in 1223)
- Mistletoe (Ancient Druids)
- Christmas Trees (Middle Ages Germany)
- Christmas Wreath (Middle Ages Germany)
- Christmas Pickles (late 1800’s USA)
- Christmas Lights (1882 USA)
- Poinsettias (Cuetlaxochitl) [kwet-la-sho-she] (20th Century USA)

Christmas Festivities

- Yule Log (ancient winter solstice celebrations)
- Christmas Markets (Christkindlmarkt) (1434 Germany)
- Christmas Cards (1843 England)
- Advent Calendars (1903 Germany)

Christmas Stories

- Christmas Nativity
- The Night Before Christmas (1822 USA)
- A Christmas Carol (1843 England)
- The Nutcracker (1892 Russia)
- Miracle on 34th Street (1947 USA)
- White Christmas (1954 USA)
- Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer (1964)
- A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965 USA)
- Frosty the Snowman (1969)
- Mickey’s Christmas Carol (1983)
- National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation (1989)

Christmas Treats

- Gingerbread Houses (16th Century Germany)
- Candy Canes (1670 Germany)
- Cookies and Milk for Santa (1930’s USA)

Christmas