Everyone has their own favorite Christmas traditions, and classic holiday films play a big role in pumping up the Christmas spirit. Click Cupid gathered data on what the most popular holiday movies are by state, and the results might be a little controversial.
A Christmas Story has dominated the top spot for the past 3 years in states like Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, West Virginia and more. Its nostalgic theme and humor is something that appeals to both old and young generations, making it something for everyone to enjoy. So we can see why it consistently makes the top choice in many states.
While A Christmas Story’s ranking seems believable, that’s basically where things stop making sense. The 2015 film Carol seems to have sneaked its way into the hearts of millions of Americans as a new Christmas tradition which seems pretty surprising since it’s a little lesser-known and part of the quasi-Christmas genre pool. It was the favorite in states like South Carolina, Utah, and Wisconsin more than once.
And don’t get us started on Die Hard. The Bruce Willis action thriller was the top choice for a Christmas movie by more than a dozen states last year, which begs the age-old question, “Is Die Hard a Christmas movie?” The majority has spoken, and the answer is no.
In a recent poll, 56% of adults don’t consider watching NYPD’s John McClane bungee jump 100 feet with a fire hose a Christmas experience. What can we say? The people have spoken. Nevertheless, it’s outranked perfectly good holiday classics like Elf, White Christmas, The Santa Clause, Home Alone, and more.
And speaking of Home Alone, how has America lost sight of everything wonderful about Christmas by letting this masterpiece fall out of tradition? It was the favorite in only a handful of states in 2018 (we see you Florida), and slipped out completely by last year. Before she was Moira Rose, we all grew up watching Catherine O’Hara forget her son on the family Christmas trip to Paris. Isn’t Kevin’s adventure of turning his family home into a fortress to fend off the Wet Bandits enough to get you in the holiday spirit? The soundtrack alone will bring comfort and joy to your heart for Christmas.
Regardless of what your top list looks like, we rounded up where to watch America’s favorite Christmas Movies in alphabetical order below.
A Christmas Story
Where to watch: Sling
Carol
Elf
Die Hard
Where to watch: HBO Max
Little Women (2019)
Where to watch: Starz
White Christmas
Where to watch: Netflix