Holiday
Hits
Hits
This holiday film opens with a Chicago family oversleeping, leading to one child being accidentally left behind.
Home Alone
This 1994 hit reappears on the Billboard charts every December, securing its singer the unofficial title “Queen of Christmas.”
All I Want for Christmas Is You
Ancient cultures used this hanging greenery to symbolize peace and good luck long before Americans used it for holiday kisses.
Mistletoe
This reindeer wasn’t part of Santa’s original lineup—he debuted in a 1939 department-store booklet.
Rudolph
This famous holiday ledger sorts children into two very different categories.
The Nice List
In this 2003 movie, a human raised in the North Pole discovers he’s not actually one of Santa’s small coworkers.
Elf
One of the earliest rock-influenced holiday hits, this 1958 song became a December standard for school dances.
Jingle Bell Rock
This rich holiday drink, often spiced and served warm, started appearing in American cookbooks long before refrigeration existed.
Eggnog
This antisocial Seussian character’s heart grows after he hears joy in Whoville despite his sabotage.
The Grinch
This horned figure from Alpine folklore contrasts sharply with Santa by punishing the misbehaving.
Krampus
This classic stop-motion tale follows an outcast with a glowing feature and a friend who’d rather practice dentistry than toy-making.
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
Recorded by a 13-year-old, this song features the upbeat command to “trim the tree” and “mix and mingle.”
Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree
The first of the “12 Days of Christmas” begins on this date, not before it.
December 25
This character’s first breath of life happens thanks to an accidentally enchanted silk hat.
Frosty the SnowMan
In many households, this small holiday figure “reports” children’s behavior back to the North Pole from various hiding spots.
Elf on the Shelf
Set in the 1940s Midwest, this film centers on a boy who fears his dream gift might “shoot his eye out.”
A Christmas Story
Written by Irving Berlin, this holiday song from a 1942 film remains one of the best-selling singles ever recorded.
White Christmas
This snack pairing left out for Santa in many U.S. homes traces its roots to Dutch families who honored St. Nicholas.
Cookies and Milk
This character’s overnight visits from three spirits reveal his failures, forcing him to confront his own legacy.
Ebenezer Scrooge
This traditional stocking item was once considered a warning sign for misbehavior, not a treat.
Coal
A discouraged man is shown an alternate reality by an angel who reveals how many lives he changed without realizing it.
It’s a Wonderful Life
Though tied to an old European legend, this carol’s American popularity grew through church hymnals and December choir concerts.
Good King Wenceslas
This December church service tradition retells the Nativity through alternating scripture readings and choral numbers.
Lessons and Carols
This historic figure, known for secret gift-giving, influenced America’s modern image of Santa during the 19th century.
Saint Nicholas
This figure from early American Christmas folklore was believed to travel with St. Nicholas and deliver punishment to children who misbehaved, often described as carrying a birch rod or switches.
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