From live action to cartoon to stop-motion animation, our favorite Christmas specials all have one thing in common: they bring the joy of the season right to us. Even if it does take the main characters a little while to get the Christmas spirit, they get there in the end!

5) A Christmas Story

The old cars, the broken down furnace, the tinsel on the tree, and for so many other reasons, A Christmas Story is one of our favorites. The lines have even become part of our expressions all year round! How many of us had or wished for a decoder ring when we were little? There’s just so much to love about this one!

Via/ Flickr

4) The Year Without A Santa Claus

When the depressed Santa decides to skip Christmas, he has to find his way back to the Christmas spirit in this fun stop-motion animation. Anyone who grew up watching this program loved the colorful characters. As a classic Rankin/Bass production the style is familiar, with the more modern story of lack of belief in Santa.

3) Santa Claus is Coming to Town

The origin story of Santa Claus as the adopted youngest child of the Kringle family is another tradition in many households. And, who doesn’t love Tanta Kringle?

https://youtube.com/watch?v=9a8npoc5hwo

2) How the Grinch Stole Christmas

Our favorite Christmas book is also our favorite Christmas special! There’s nothing quite like either of them. The scene where the Grinch’s heart grows is the essence of Christmas.

Original caption: “Dr. Seuss (Ted Geisel) at work on a drawing of a grinch, the hero of his forthcoming book, “How the Grinch Stole Christmas.” Via/ Library of Congress

1) A Charlie Brown Christmas

With a jazz soundtrack by Vince Guaraldi that is still a classic, A Charlie Brown Christmasis a personal favorite of many. The standard of the day was to hire adult actors who could imitate children’s voices, but this one is extra special because of the children who play the Peanuts characters. They bring life into this unusual Christmas special from Charles Shultz.

Those are our favorite Christmas specials. What are your favorites? Tell us in the comments below!

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