One of the best things about the holiday season is spending some quality time with your family and revisiting those classic Christmas specials like Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town. These beloved claymation Christmas movies, and several others that have been released over the years, have become staples of the season for a lot of us, traditions that we just can’t bring ourselves to break.
But keeping track of those specials and movies (especially when it comes to the various ways to watch them) can sometimes be no easy task. That being said, let us take away at least a small part of your holiday anxiety this year with our breakdown of 10 stop-motion animated films that are now as big a part of Christmas as fruitcake, eggnog, and 24-hour marathons of A Christmas Story…
Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer (1964)
Though there are some disturbing truths we must accept about Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, there is no denying the 1964 stop-motion animated holiday special’s place in pop culture. Produced by Rankin/Bass (a name that will come up quite often moving forward), this beloved classic about an outcast reindeer saving Christmas is still a gem nearly 60 years after its release. And with characters like Hermey the Misfit Elf, Yukon Cornelius, and the Abominable Snow Monster, there’s so much to love.
Buy Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer on Amazon.
Buy Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer on DVD on Amazon.
Santa Claus Is Comin’ To Town (1970)
You could argue that Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town is the perfect superhero origin story in addition to being one of the best movies about Old Saint Nick. With killer songs, animation from Rankin/Bass that is a little more refined than the Rudolph special, and a wonderfully enjoyable tale about Kris Kringle transforming himself into the unofficial mascot of the holiday, there’s so much that just works.
Rent/Buy Santa Claus Is Comin’ To Town on Amazon.
Buy Santa Claus Is Comin’ To Town on Blu-ray on Amazon.
The Little Drummer Boy (1968)
Yet another Rankin/Bass production, The Little Drummer Boy came out during the 1968 holiday season and introduced audiences to the unforgettable character known as Aaron. This little drummer boy (hence the title) starts off as a cynical and disappointed orphan who’s fed up with humanity before joining three wise men on a journey like no other. Sure, this is a little more mature than other specials, but this is a stop-motion film you just won’t want to miss.
Stream The Little Drummer Boy on Peacock.
Rent/Buy The Little Drummer Boy on Amazon.
Buy The Little Drummer Boy on DVD on Amazon.
The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)
The Nightmare Before Christmas, which celebrated its 30-year anniversary in 2023 (talk about feeling old, right?), is one of those timeless animated movies you just can’t help but watch whenever it’s on. From the mind of Tim Burton (though he didn’t direct), this dark and twisted holiday tale follows Jack Skellington (Chris Sarandon and Danny Elfman) as he schemes to take over “Christmas Town,” only to find himself going through a radical change in the process.
Stream The Nightmare Before Christmas on Disney+.
Rent/Buy The Nightmare Before Christmas on Amazon.
Buy The Nightmare Before Christmas on Blu-ray on Amazon.
Jack Frost (1979)
Not to be confused with the 1997 Christmas horror movie of the same name, or the 1998 Michael Keaton film also with the same title, Jack Frost was a 1979 TV special by, you guessed it, Rankin/Bass, that followed the titular winter sprite as he was transformed into a human. It’s short, sweet, and full of treats for the young and young at heart to enjoy, which is probably why Jack Frost is still on TV multiple times every Christmas season, even if it’s not as much about the holiday as others on this list.
Stream Jack Frost on Tubi.
Stream Jack Frost on Prime Video.
Buy Jack Frost on DVD on Amazon.
Shaun The Sheep: The Flight Before Christmas (2021)
If you’re looking for a family movie on Netflix that takes place during the Christmas season that also happens to be claymation, then Shaun the Sheep: The Flight Before Christmas is going to do just the trick. What starts out as a low-stakes job to get bigger stockings for the holidays quickly breaks down into a frantic adventure for Shaun and his Flock after one of their own goes missing.
Stream Shaun the Sheep: The Fight Before Christmas on Netflix.
Rudolph and Frosty’s Christmas In July (1979)
Released in 1979, Rudolph and Frosty’s Christmas in July is essentially The Avengers of the Rankin/Bass world. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, Frosty the Snowman, Santa Claus, and Jack Frost all get caught up in this adventure that sees the arrival of the evil snow wizard known as Winterbolt, who causes all kinds of havoc at the North Pole.
Rent/Buy Rudolph and Frosty’s Christmas in July on Amazon.
The Year Without A Santa Claus (1974)
Rankin/Bass Productions’ 1974 holiday special, The Year Without a Santa Claus, shows what happens when Old Saint Nick decides to take a break after burning himself out. When Mrs. Claus steps in for her tired husband, she finds herself in a once-in-a-lifetime adventure. There’s a lot going on, even before the Miser Brothers get involved.
Rent/Buy The Year Without a Santa Claus on Amazon.
A Miser Brothers’ Christmas (2008)
A sequel to The Year Without a Santa Claus, the 2008 stop-motion animated TV movie, A Miser Brothers’ Christmas follows the titular siblings as they attempt to put aside their differences in an attempt to save Old Saint Nick and the holiday itself. Knowing the Heat and Snow Misers’ shared history, this is no easy task.
Rent/Buy A Miser Brothers’ Christmas on Amazon.
Buy A Miser Brothers’ Christmas on DVD on Amazon.
Robin Robin (2021)
Robin Robin, a 2021 stop-motion animated Netflix short film that follows a young bird raised by a family of mice that makes a wish on a Christmas star that could change everything for her. But as we’ve learned in other coming-of-age journeys, things are never as easy as they seem.
Stream Robin Robin on Netflix.
Hopefully, this list takes some of the chaos out of the holiday season, at least when it comes to how you can watch all those great Christmas claymation movies. If you’re looking for even more great holiday options, our rundown of the best Christmas movies of all time should do the trick.
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Khushi Patel is a science fiction author who lives in Austin, Texas. She has published three novels, and her work has been praised for its originality and imagination. Khushi is a graduate of Rice University, and she has worked as a software engineer. She is a member of the Science Fiction Writers of America, and her books have been nominated for several awards.
