Fun
Frisky
Nostalgic
Intense
Adventurous
Choked Up
Curious
Romantic
Weird
The holidays mean different things to different people. But if there’s one thing all winter revelers can agree on, it’s that the holidays have inspired some of the most memorable moments in movie and TV history. Without further ado (and a-ho ho ho), we present The Ultimate Holiday Showdown, a bracket-style tournament to determine the best pop culture moment that the month of December has ever produced. Vote early and often! And Happy Holidays!
Holiday traditions start when we’re young, and for a whole lot of us, that means the animated TV specials that aired during our childhoods. Made in the 1960s and ’70s, they’ve been staples of the holiday season for decades. Most of them find their way back to TV annually, though a couple are a bit harder to find. Still, there are few holiday institutions more ingrained in the culture than the Grinch, or Rudolph, or Charlie Brown’s humble Christmas tree. And while it will be a bit like choosing between beloved children, we’re here to determine a winner. Cast your votes and follow the bracket as the winners advance to the championship.
You can head over to The Ultimate Holiday Showdown and cast your vote, or you can get some analysis and check out the round matchups below.
Charlie Brown vs. Kris Kringle
Charlie Brown was down on the commercialism inherent in Christmas before it was cool. His sad little runt of a Christmas tree was a testament to the melancholy Peanuts charms. Charlie and his tree are up against the Rankin-Bass special that told us the origin story of Santa Claus, which has more to do with warlocks and a penguin than you might think. Santa Claus Is Coming to Town is probably less well-known, but the stop-motion aesthetic of those Rankin-Bass specials just looks like Christmas, so Kris Kringle might put up a fight.
#1 seed A Charlie Brown Christmas [Where to stream A Charlie Brown Christmas] vs. #8 seed Santa Claus Is Coming to Town [Where to stream Santa Claus Is Coming to Town]
VOTE ON A CHARLIE BROWN CHRISTMAS (1965) VS. SANTA CLAUS IS COMING TO TOWN (1970)
Rudolph vs. Father Mouse
The Battle of Rankin-Bass is on! Twas the Night Before Christmas is about Santa and a clockmaker, a tiny mouse, and a little boy who doesn’t believe in Santa. In other words, it’s got all the ingredients. Plus the voice of Joel Grey! Still, it’s up against a formidable contender. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer was the first of the Rankin-Bass Christmas specials, featuring the vocal talents of Burl Ives singing the songs. It basically defines the iconic holiday TV special and will be tough to beat.
#2 seed Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer [Where to stream Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer] vs. #7 seed Twas the Night Before Christmas [Where to stream Twas the Night Before Christmas</em]
VOTE ON RUDOLPH THE RED-NOSED REINDEER (1964) VS. TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS (1974)
The Grinch vs. Emmet Otter
We’re not talking about Jim Carrey here. This is the original, animated Dr. Seuss Grinch special, with the voice of Boris Karloff, Max the dog, Cindy Lou Who, and the roast beast. In addition to the great songs, the mellifluous quality of Karloff’s narration, and the signature animation, it’s also the ultimate holiday special if you’re feeling particularly ungenerous about the holidays. If Dr. Seuss is a touchstone of your childhood, though, Jim Henson probably is too. His Emmet Otter’s Jug-Band Christmas is a true cult classic, and if you haven’t seen it, you should get in on that cult today. Also — shhh! ‚— it’s the only special in this quarter of the bracket that’s not animated.
#3 seed How the Grinch Stole Christmas [Where to stream How the Grinch Stole Christmas] vs. #5 seed Emmet Otter’s Jug Band Christmas [Stream Emmet Otter’s Jug-Band Christmas on YouTube]
VOTE ON HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS (1966) VS. EMMET OTTER’S JUG-BAND CHRISTMAS (1978)
Frosty vs. Fat Albert
This one might not end up as close as the seedings might suggest. Frosty is probably the best known classically animated Rankin Bass special, based on one of the better known Christmas carols. It was also really sad if you watched it as a kid and couldn’t separate fantasy from reality in a story about a little girl’s snowman friend who — SPOILER — melts inside a greenhouse. It’s up against the Christmas special for Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids, a fun and nostalgic Christmas special from the ’70s that is nonetheless kind of hard to watch in the same way give the last year’s worth of Bill Cosby news.
#4 seed Frosty the Snowman[Where to stream Frosty the Snowman] vs. #6 seed The Fat Albert Christmas Special [Stream The Fat Albert Christmas Special on YouTube]
VOTE ON FROSTY THE SNOWMAN (1969) VS. THE FAT ALBERT CHRISTMAS SPECIAL (1977)
Good luck to all of the contenders! Cast your votes now and look out for our next round of voting on December 8.
