Would Christmas be the same without Clarence, Hermie the Elf, The Grinch or even Clark Griswold? Probably not. Holiday movies and TV specials have become as much of a tradition as mistletoe and eggnog.  This morning the WPDH listeners chimed in with their favorite holiday specials.  Is yours on the list?

Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer.  At first glance this is a creepy, stop-motion puppet show that tells the story of what a jerk Santa really is.  Poor Hermie the Elf is forced into slave labor when all he wants to do is be a dentist.  Rudolph runs away after being bullied by everyone (including Santa!) for being different. This is pretty dark.  Plus, don't get me started on what is wrong with the doll on the Island of Misfit Toys (nothing!).  But after years and years of singing "Silver and Gold" Rudolph has become a must-watch every year.

A Christmas Story.  I triple dog dare you not to watch when flipping past this one. Thanks to TBS playing it non-stop for 24 hours every Christmas, everyone can say they've seen A Christmas Story... although probably never in order and completely from start to finish.  From the pink bunny suit to the "major award" leg lamp, to the Little Orphan Annie Ovaltine scam, to licking a flagpole... it seems as almost every scene is a classic.

Miracle on 34th Street.  One of my personal favorites.  Is there anything more magical than a Santa that can speak Dutch?  Strangely enough, this Academy Award winning Christmas film was originally released in the Spring of 1947.  Why?  Because it was believed that more people went to the movies over the summer than during Winter. The studio promoted it as a family film, and kept the fact that it was a Christmas movie secret.  Luckily, the movie is so great that the bait and switch didn't seem to bother too many and has become a beloved holiday classic.  Although, I was disappointed to see that the original isn't being aired this year at any time between now through Christmas.

It's a Wonderful Life.  The ultimate holiday film.  Is there any other movie that is more of a must-watch at Christmas time?

So which ones did we leave off of the list?  Let us know your favorites below in the comment section.

 

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