December 23rd marks the exciting day we’ve all been waiting for - the National Christmas Movie Marathon Day. This day is dedicated to celebrating our favorite pastime during the holiday season: settling in and watching a string of cherished Christmas movies in one sitting.
From chortling at the hilarious hijinks in “Home Alone” to the heartwarming moments in “Miracle on 34th Street,” this day gives us all the right reasons to huddle on the sofa, fix some tasty nibbles, and lose ourselves in some timeless cinematic experiences that add that extra sprinkle of charm to our Yuletide festivities.
History of National Christmas Movie Marathon Day
Over the decades, Christmas movies have played a significant role in people’s holiday celebrations. As the film and TV industry grew throughout the 20th century, sitting down with the family to enjoy heartwarming Christmas films at home emerged as a cherished tradition.
Numerous iconic films - think “Miracle on 34th Street,” “A Christmas Story,” “Home Alone,” and “Elf,” among others - have mesmerized global audiences with their beautiful festive narratives about love, family, and the magic of Christmas.
As these movies gained widespread popularity, many TV stations started to host Christmas movie marathons during the holidays. Nowadays, channels like Hallmark and Lifetime host weeks-long Christmas movie lineups, starting as early as October.
The emergence of National Christmas Movie Marathon Day can be traced back to this growing tradition. Given the vast collection of Christmas movies available today, setting aside one specific day for a movie marathon makes for a fun, relaxed way to enhance the festive spirit - especially just before Christmas on December 23.
National Christmas Movie Marathon Day Timeline
It's a Wonderful Life
Directed by Frank Capra, this movie starring James Stewart is considered a classic of Christmas cinema.
Miracle on 34th Street
A film about a department store Santa who claims to be the real thing, starring Maureen O'Hara and John Payne.
A Christmas Story
Based on Jean Shepherd's semi-fictional anecdotes, the film follows a boy named Ralphie seeking a BB gun for Christmas.
Home Alone
The comedy tells the story of an eight-year-old boy, Kevin McCallister, who must protect his house from burglars after he's accidentally left at home during Christmas.
The Santa Clause
Tim Allen turns into Santa Claus after accidentally causing the previous Santa to fall from his roof on Christmas Eve.
How the Grinch Stole Christmas
A live-action adaptation of the Dr. Seuss story, starring Jim Carrey as the Grinch.
The Polar Express
An animated film, based on a children's book, about a magical journey to the North Pole.
Arthur Christmas
This animated family film tells the story of Santa's clumsy son Arthur, who discovers Santa missed one child's present.
The Christmas Chronicles
A Netflix original film about two kids who plan to catch Santa Claus on camera.
Ideas to Celebrate National Christmas Movie Marathon Day
Classic Film List
Make a list of classic Christmas movies to watch like 'A Christmas Story', 'Home Alone', 'Elf', 'It's a Wonderful Life' and 'The Polar Express'. Watch them back to back in the comfort of your home.
Christmas Snack Feast
Prepare a feast of Christmas snacks. Popcorn, Christmas cookies, hot chocolate, roasted chestnuts, candy canes, and other Christmas treats are a must for a movie marathon.
Foreign Christmas Movie Night
Expand your Christmas movie horizons by including some foreign films in your marathon. This will offer you a global perspective on the holiday season.
Movie Discussion
After each movie, have a small discussion about it. Talk about the themes, jokes, acting, and anything else that stood out to you.
Christmas Movie Trivia
Take a break between films for a round of Christmas movie trivia. It will test your knowledge and could also introduce you to some new movies to watch.
10 Interesting Facts About Christmas Movies
It's a Wonderful Life
Originally, the film was not a success at the box office. However, due to a copyright loophole, it frequently rerun on TV during the Christmas season in the 1970s and 1980s, making it a classic.
Home Alone
The movie was entered into the Guinness Book of World Records as the highest-grossing live-action comedy ever.
A Christmas Story
The leg lamp in this classic film was inspired by a promotional item for Nehi soda.
Elf
In the film, Will Ferrell's reactions to the jack-in-the-boxes were real. Director Jon Favreau controlled when they would pop out.
Love Actually
The scenes of passengers greeting loved ones at Heathrow Airport are real. The filmmakers got permission to shoot there and used hidden cameras.
The Polar Express
It's the first full-length feature film to be shot entirely in performance-capture technology.
The Nightmare Before Christmas
Despite popular belief, Tim Burton did not direct this film. However, it was based on his poem and he produced it.
Die Hard
Yes, it is a Christmas movie. Despite the debate, the movie is set around the holiday and includes several Christmas elements, making it a non-traditional Christmas movie.
Bad Santa
The film initially had a much darker ending where Willie gets shot in the back multiple times. Test audiences didn't like it, so the tone was lightened.
Miracle on 34th Street
Despite being a Christmas movie, it was actually released in May. The studio thought more people went to the movies in the summer, so they released it then.
National Christmas Movie Marathon Day FAQs
Next National Christmas Movie Marathon Day Dates
| Year | Date | Day |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | December 23rd | Saturday |
| 2024 | December 23rd | Monday |
| 2025 | December 23rd | Tuesday |
| 2026 | December 23rd | Wednesday |
| 2027 | December 23rd | Thursday |
| What is the pattern? | Every December 23rd | |
National Christmas Movie Marathon Day Word Search
- Christmas
- Movie
- Marathon
- Rudolph
- Miracle
- SantaClaus