Favorite Holiday Specials

With so many great holiday-themed specials, I asked you about your favorites. The most popular vote-getters were clustered in a tight race, but the 1966 animated version of How the Grinch Stole Christmas! squeezed out on top. Tied for second were Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and A Charlie Brown Christmas, but they were barely ahead of National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation and White Christmas.

Here are some of the comments I received on the big winners, followed by a few comments on the many, many others mentioned.

Enjoy. And, remember, you still have time to watch!

How the Grinch Stole Christmas!

He has a special place in my heart… I do love him. 💚💚💚💚💚

Love how the Grinch’s heart grows.

I laughed so hard at the dog pulling the sled on the mountain.

We used to watch this every year at Christmas when I was a kid before the days when you could buy the DVD!

It’s my favorite because as a child we didn’t have a lot of TV to choose from and this always came on during the holidays.

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer

Everytime Santa says, “Okay, Rudolph, FULL POWER,” I sob uncontrollably! Love it!

Rudolph is the first one I remember seeing as a small child. Looked forward to it every year. The island of mis-fit toys and the Abominable & the dentist. What a story.

A Charlie Brown Christmas

It combines all my favourite music with the innocence of Linus and the acquisitive , competitiveness of Snoopy. It just is what it is.

Just so sweet with a nice message. It wasn’t really Christmas until that aired on television.

I love Snoopy and it talks about the birth of Jesus and that is really why we celebrate Christmas!

Tugs at my heart.

Charlie Brown will always be my favorite.

National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation

My husband is a real life, Clark Griswold. He puts Christmas lights on the house, the roof, around the windows and doors. A 20-foot inflatable snowman is in our back yard (the only inflatable out of everything). Countless yard decor – deer families, candy canes, Christmas trees of all variety, etc. etc. etc.!!! He even uses snowfall lights that actually do give the display the appearance of snow – and in South Alabama, that is saying something. It is insane!! But people love it. And everyone calls him Clark, but I believe he relates more with Cousin Eddie :-).

Not so much because I love it, but because for some mysterious reason it makes my husband out and out laugh. Like a good belly laugh. And that I enjoy tremendously!

I love the whole story, all the characters and can totally relate to the experiences each and every one has at Christmas! I know every line by heart.

Can’t help laughing every time Chevy Chase plugs them in!

White Christmas

It tugs at my heartstrings—sad, happy, and funny. I can remember growing up watching it every single year. It was something I could count on to always happen. And I always to this day cry when it snows at the end.

Reminds me of my parents listening to all the old Christmas albums on the old stereo.

Nostalgia, song, and dance. Bing Crosby’s famous rendition of the theme song. All blended to make White Christmas my favorite holiday movie for three decades.

Many others received multiple nods, so let me share a few:

Home Alone: Good laughs, happy ending, and likable little guy as lead actor.

It’s a Wonderful Life: Because it is about lost dreams, raising a family and falling on hard times only to come out on top and realizing your how great your life is.

Scrooged: I laugh till my face hurts and feel uplifted every time I see it.

Elf: I love the silliness and humor of the movie.

The Santa Clause: Humor mixed with a little heart warming!

The Hallmark Channel and Great American Movies received a few nominations as well. Not any particular movie—one person noted they all have “the same sappy storyline”—but the general feeling that they all “have a happy, warm ending.”

Several versions of A Christmas Carol received nominations, from the the Alastair Sim 1951 classic to Mr. Magoo.

Many, many others received at least one nomination.

You still have a few days, so catch up on any that you might have missed. And don’t forget to take this month’s survey by going here.