Nothing says ‘Happy Holidays’ like a healthy dose of nostalgia—and what better way to feel the spirit of the season than watching a holiday classic.
A new poll of 2,000 Americans who celebrate the festive season found it was the top tradition—with 72% choosing the tradition of watching Christmas movies, beating out decorating the tree (66%) and baking cookies (55%).
Among the top-watched shows during the season are A Charlie Brown Christmas (42%), Home Alone (42%), How the Grinch Stole Christmas (35%), The Polar Express (32%), A Christmas Story (31%), and White Christmas (30%).
But, the most beloved holiday movie to watch during the holiday? It’s a Wonderful Life.
Their favorite holiday character was Kevin McCallister in Home Alone (30%) and Tim Allen who plays the jolly toymaker in The Santa Clause (29%).
Commissioned by global streaming media platform Plex and conducted by OnePoll, the random double-opt-in survey found that 52% believe that watching holiday movies helps them bond with their family.
The top TV favorites of the festive season are Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (60%), Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town (37%), Friends “The One With the Holiday Armadillo” (19%), and South Park “Christmas Snow” (14%).
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Four in 10 binge-watch movies during the holiday season more than any other time of year. Over half of women surveyed said they go out of their way to make sure they can watch their favorite holiday movies and shows each and every holiday season.
A third of respondents said they would even download and/or subscribe to a new streaming service that has their favorite holiday movie just to scratch their festive watching itch.
Although 63 percent say the holidays are stressful, the nostalgia of holiday movies provides comfort and joy. Over half (52%) believe the holidays would feel “incomplete” if they weren’t able to watch their favorite movies.
“There’s a certain sense of charm in holiday movies—especially the older classics,” said Jason Williams, Product Director at Plex. “Seeing these top choices all grouped together is a reminder of how timeless some of these movies are and how long-lasting their impact is on how we celebrate the holiday season.”
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Respondents also shared their favorite movies they consider holiday films, without explicitly being so, including Die Hard (25%), Frozen (23%), The Sound of Music (21%), Harry Potter and The Sorcerer’s Stone (12%).
In addition to the abundance of holiday-themed content, 29% said they go further to create a cozy ambiance during the holiday season by streaming virtual Yule Logs.
“Pouring yourself a mug of hot chocolate and streaming your favorite content can truly bring out the magic of the holidays.”
TOP 10 HOLIDAY MOVIES
-It’s a Wonderful Life – 43%
-A Charlie Brown Christmas – 42%
-Home Alone – 42%
-How the Grinch Stole Christmas – 35%
-The Polar Express – 32%
-A Christmas Story – 31%
-White Christmas – 30%
-National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation – 29%
-The Santa Clause – 27%
-Elf – 27%
Merry Christmas to All and to All a Good Night!
I’d say they are the 10 most well-known. I’ve seen all of them, and I’ve seen lesser known movies that were extraordinary, yet relatively unknown. I’m not including the #1 movie here, but Home Alone is merely a comedy set at Christmas, not a true Christmas movie, like Miracle on 34th Street. Yes, A Christmas Story is a comedy too – but what class…