'Tis the season for lounging on the coach with a mug of hot cocoa and a plate of cookies and watching Christmas movies. But have you ever wondered which holiday flick is most popular in your state? Sure, we love our Hallmark movie marathons, but we're talking about those classic Christmas films you watch again and again each holiday season
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Consumer site Comparitech compiled data from IMDB and Google Trends to find the most popular Christmas movie in every state. The results? More shocking than waking up in Whoville to find all the gifts gone.
While most of the favorites on the map are cozy Christmas classics (think "Home Alone) there are plenty of others that are far less familiar. Some were obscure enough that we had to look them up. And others are brand new Christmas movies that premiered in the last few years.
Is your favorite Christmas movie the same as the majority of people in your state? Do your preferences align with fellow Americans further afield? Or is your favorite all-time Christmas movie nowhere to be found? Check out the map below to see how each state spends their holiday TV time.
Editor's note: This article was originally published in 2020.
Most Popular Christmas Movie, State By State
Stay Home With Some 'Home Alone'
"Home Alone" took the top spot in a whopping 9 states, including Texas, Oklahoma and New York. I can't say I disagree with these folks. Watching little Kevin McCallister (Macaulay Culkin) defend his home from the Wet Bandits (Joe Pesci and Daniel Stern) is a holiday tradition in my home. I recommend you watch this one with a lovely cheese pizza (from Little Nero's, of course), just for you.
Read More: The 'Home Alone' House + 5 More Christmas Movie Locations You Can Visit
Unconventional Holiday Faves
One unconventional holiday movie on the map is "Die Hard", starring Bruce Willis as John McClane as an NYPD officer who has to save his wife and others taken hostage during a Christmas party. The action flick is the most popular Christmas movie in Alaska, Washington and Nebraska.
Perhaps even more surprising is the appearance of "Edward Scissorhands," Tim Burton's fantasy romance starring Johnny Depp as a humanoid with scissors for hands. Is it a Christmas movie? California sure thinks so.
Which States Prefer Classics and Which Prefer Modern Films?
Some states prefer Christmas films from over 80 years ago while others lean toward offerings from within the last 20 years.
"It's a Wonderful Life" (1946), the classic Frank Capra film starring Jimmy Stewart, is a favorite in Maine, while the Will Ferrell comedy "Elf" (2003) is the top Christmas movie in Idaho.
If you love Bing Crosby holiday classics, Vermont agrees. The 1942 film "Holiday Inn" is the most popular holiday movie in The Green Mountain State.
However, two much newer movies also appeared on the list. The 2019 movie "Noelle" is the top movie in Minnesota, while Hawaii favors the Netflix movie "The Knight Before Christmas."
The 2000 film "How the Grinch Stole Christmas," starring Jim Carrey, took the top spot in West Virginia and Kentucky, while the 2018 animated flick "The Grinch" is the favorite in North Dakota.
And it's no big surprise that "Christmas in Connecticut" (1945) was the top holiday movie in Connecticut.
No Love for Holiday Rom-Coms
My question is: where is the holiday rom-com representation? Is no one rewatching "The Holiday," Nancy Meyers' iconic holiday house-swap movie starring Cameron Diaz and Kate Winslet, over and over until New Years Day like me? Or "The Family Stone," my personal favorite (with respect to "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation") chaotic dysfunctional family Christmas movie?
Whether you prefer to see Bruce Willis or Clarence the guardian angel save Christmas, there's plenty of inspiration here for a holiday binge-watch.
Full List of Every State and Its Favorite Christmas Movie (in Alphabetical Order)
- Alabama: "The Christmas Shoes"
- Alaska: "The Nightmare Before Christmas"
- Arizona: "Santa Claus: The Movie"
- Arkansas: "A Christmas Story"
- California: "A Snow Capped Christmas"
- Colorado: "Scrooged"
- Connecticut: "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer: The Movie"
- Delaware: "White Christmas"
- District of Columbia: "A Christmas Story"
- Florida: "A Snow Capped Christmas"
- Georgia: "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer: The Movie"
- Hawaii: "A Christmas Carol"
- Idaho: "Elf"
- Illinois: "The Santa Clause"
- Indiana: "A Bad Moms Christmas"
- Iowa: "Elf"
- Kansas: "A Christmas Story"
- Kentucky: "Santa Claus: The Movie"
- Louisiana: "The Polar Express"
- Maine: "The Muppet Christmas Carol"
- Maryland: "The Holiday"
- Massachusetts: "A Snow Capped Christmas"
- Michigan: "How the Grinch Stole Christmas"
- Minnesota: "A Bad Moms Christmas"
- Mississippi: "White Christmas"
- Missouri: "The Polar Express"
- Montana: "Elf"
- Nebraska: "The Christmas Chronicles 2"
- Nevada: "The Holiday"
- New Hampshire: "It's a Wonderful Life"
- New Jersey: "A Snow Capped Christmas"
- New Mexico: "Last Christmas"
- New York: "Jingle All the Way"
- North Carolina: "Love Actually"
- North Dakota: "A Christmas Story"
- Ohio: "A Snow Capped Christmas"
- Oklahoma: "Office Christmas Party"
- Oregon: "A Boy Called Christmas"
- Pennsylvania: "The Holiday"
- Rhode Island: "The Nightmare Before Christmas"
- South Carolina: "Office Christmas Party"
- South Dakota: "A Christmas Story"
- Tennessee: "Christmas with the Kranks"
- Texas: "A Snow Capped Christmas"
- Utah: "The Christmas Shoes"
- Vermont: "A Christmas Carol"
- Virginia: "Merry Liddle Christmas"
- Washington: "Scrooge"
- West Virginia: "White Christmas"
- Wisconsin: "Krampus"
- Wyoming: "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation"
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