The stockings are hung, the trees are decorated and the egg nog is out. It’s almost Christmas! Check out our list of the best animated Christmas specials and tell us which one is your favorite!
1. Mickey’s Christmas Carol
This was the first original Mickey Mouse cartoon in over 30 years when it came out. It’s Christmas Eve in Victorian England, but Ebenezer Scrooge (Scrooge McDuck) thinks about nothing but money. He’s mean to his employee Bob Crotchet (Mickey Mouse) and loses his family, including his nephew Fred (Donald Duck). Will a few ghostly visits melt his heart? “God bless us, everyone!”
Mickey Mouse wins Christmas!Courtesy of Disney
2. The Year Without a Santa Claus
Santa thinks no one cares about Christmas anymore and decides to take a year off. He leaves it up to the elves Jingle and Jangle to prove that people still believe in Santa Claus. This one has the Heat Miser and the Snow Miser, who have the best songs in an animated special ever.
What would we do without Santa?Courtesy of Rankin-Bass Productions
3. The Nightmare Before Christmas
Jack Skellington, the king of Halloween Town is bored with ghosts and ghouls. When he finds the door to Christmas Town, he’s enchanted. He tries to take Christmas back to his spooky home, but things don’t exactly go as planned.
Will Jack Skellington ruin Christmas?Courtesy of Disney
4. A Charlie Brown Christmas
Poor Charlie Brown can never catch a break. Lucy wants him to direct the school Christmas play, but no one will listen to him. He’s sad because Christmas is all about presents and not the spirit of the season. Will he get everyone to see what it’s all about? This special brings us the “Charlie Brown Christmas tree.” It’s also got Snoopy, which makes it awesome.
It’s Christmas, Charlie Brown!Courtesy of Bill Melendez Productions
5. The Polar Express
Though some people are weirded out by the animation in this film, it’s still a great story. A young boy who doesn’t believe in Santa Claus boards a train heading to the North Pole. Can the conductor help him believe again?
It’s time to believeCourtesy of Warner Bros.
6. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
Poor Rudolph. He just doesn’t look like the other reindeer. In an early case of animal bullying, his friends tease and ignore him. However, when Christmas is almost ruined because of fog, Rudolph saves the day, ensuring that he’ll have a place on Santa’s team forever … and a really cool song.
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, you’ll go down in history!Courtesy of Rankin-Bass Production
7. How the Grinch Stole Christmas
The Grinch was born with a hear “two sizes too small” and is just sick of the Christmas noises and happiness down in Whoville. He does everything he can to stop the holiday, including stealing all the decorations and presents. Can a little girl named Cindy Lou Who change his ways?
His heart was two sizes too smallCourtesy of MGM
8. Frosty the Snowman
Frosty the Snowman gets a magic hat from a magician named Professor Hinkle and his bunny Hocus Pocus. When it’s put on his head by a little girl named Karen, he comes to life. Will he survive when it starts to get warm? Will he come back again next Christmas Day?
He’s made of snow but the children know how he came to life one dayCourtesy of Rankin-Bass Productions
Have Your Say
Which animated Christmas movie is your favorite? Is “Frosty the Snowman” stuck in your head? We want to hear from you! Merry Christmas!
