There’s nothing quite like slipping into a pair of warm pajamas, heating up a glass of hot chocolate, and sinking into the couch to watch your favorite Christmas movies over the winter holiday period. With the list of Christmas movie choices ever growing, we’re now able to stream or rent everything from black and white classics like Miracle on 34th Street and It’s a Wonderful Life to more recent festive treats like The Christmas Chronicles and Klaus, at the click of a button.
Here, though, we’re focusing on those Christmas classics that employ the use of stop-motion animation – spanning multiple techniques including puppet-based stop-motion, the textured charm of claymation and Rankin/Bass’ signature “Animagic” style — all united by the frame-by-frame process that brings them to life.
Here are the best stop-motion animated Christmas movies of all time.
10
‘Jack Frost’ (1979)
Covering themes around Christmas, New Year’s, and Groundhog Day, Jack Frost tells the story of the titular mythical creature and his adventures as a human. Narrated by a groundhog named Pardon-Me-Pete, we learn that Jack once saved the life of a peasant girl named Elisa. Falling in love with her, Jack makes a deal with Father Winter, allowing him to become human under the condition that he can only stay human if, among other things, he marries Elissa by Spring.
The first of many Rankin/Bass productions to appear on this list, Jack Frost adopts their distinctive stop-motion animation style called “Animagic,” which features doll-like puppets with spherical body parts and interchangeable mouths and eyes, creating a charming, slightly jerky, and handmade aesthetic.
Jack Frost delivers a whimsical tale based around a criminally underutilized holiday character, making it feel fresh and a little different from the usual festive fare. Full of memorable characters, catchy songs, and high-stakes adventure, Jack Frost is a solid entry in the expansive Rankin/Bass catalog.
9
‘The First Christmas: The Story of the First Christmas Snow’ (1975)
NBC
When a young shepherd boy is blinded after being struck by lightning, he is rescued by a group of nuns, taken to their abbey, and cared for. The orphan boy grows particularly close to Sister Theresa and looks up to her as a motherly figure. After she learns that the young boy dreams of nothing more than to be able to see a white Christmas, which never occurs in their village, Sister Theresa puts all her efforts into achieving a Christmas miracle at the year’s pageant.
Less about mythical creatures and grandiose Christmas fantasy and more about gentle, human-scale wonders, The Story of the First Christmas Snow feels more grounded in reality. It’s simple, charming, and full of heart. The uplifting story is elevated by the glorious voicework of Angela Lansbury. Playing Sister Theresa, who serves as both a narrator and main character in the story, her naturally warm and comforting vocal presence adds a sense of understated humanity to the role, and it is an absolute delight to hear her emotional rendition of Irving Berlin’s White Christmas.
8
‘The Year Without a Santa Claus’ (1974)
Starring Mickey Rooney and Shirley Booth as the voices of Mr. and Mrs. Claus, respectively, The Year Without a Santa Claus is a Rankin/Bass animation that finds Santa Claus feeling under-the-weather, under-appreciated, and wanting to cancel Christmas. As a result, Mrs. Claus sends two elves – Jingle and Jangle – along with Vixen the Reindeer to find proof that people still believe in Santa and need Christmas.
Combining warmth, whimsy, and timeless storytelling, The Year Without a Santa Claus is among the funnier Rankin/Bass Christmas specials. Full of quirky characters, clever sight gags, and catchy tunes, it’s hard not to crack a smile when watching this 1974 classic.
7
‘The Leprechauns’ Christmas Gold’ (1981)
While on a strange island filled with leprechauns who’ve been cut off from Ireland, a young cabin boy named Dinty Doyle accidentally frees Old Mag the Hag, an evil banshee, who seeks to capture the leprechauns’ gold. What ensues is a magical battle of will, which ultimately favors Doyle and the Leprechauns thanks to a magic rainbow and a Christmas morning.
It’s not often that Leprechauns get to feature in any festive movies that aren’t based on St. Patrick’s Day, but here they prove they can be just as full of Yuletide joy as any traditional Christmas character. The Leprechauns’ Christmas Gold’s unique premise and “Animagic” stop-motion charm make it a perfect choice for those looking for something a little different this Christmas.
6
‘A Junky’s Christmas’ (1993)
A Junky’s Christmas is, by far, the least “Christmassy” entry on this list — in the traditional sense of the word. Based on a short story by William S. Burroughs, it tells the story of a heroin addict named Danny on the hunt for heroin on Christmas Day. Following a series of dark and disturbing events, he manages to get his hands on some morphine given to him by his doctor after his dealer is arrested. Moments before he is about to inject the drug, he finds a young man suffering from kidney stones. Danny selflessly administers his morphine to the young man, alleviating his pain. All of a sudden, Danny, himself, begins feeling the effects of heroin; it appears that his good deed has been rewarded with “the immaculate fix.”
The Junky’s Christmas claymation adaptation was co-directed by Nick Donkin and Melodie McDaniel and produced by Hollywood icon Francis Ford Coppola, best known for directing the likes of The Godfather, Apocalypse Now, The Outsiders, and Bram Stoker’s Dracula. A Junky’s Christmas was praised for its unique animation style and for effectively capturing the bleak, sardonic tone and dark charm of the original story, securing it a small but dedicated cult fanbase who prefer their Christmas entertainment slightly darker and more out of left field.
5
‘Shaun the Sheep: The Flight Before Christmas’ (2021)
From the visionary creators of Wallace and Gromit, the Shaun the Sheep television series has been entertaining audiences in Britain since 2007 with its blend of slapstick humor, clever sight gags and sheep shenanigans. Based around the escapades of the titular sheep and his mischievous flock, it came to Netflix in 2020, allowing it to reach a larger, global audience.
The 2021 short Christmas movie sees a young sheep being taken by a local farmer after Shaun and his flock raid the farmhouse to obtain more items for their Christmas stockings. As Shaun tries to save the missing sheep without being discovered, the adventure takes his flock into a high-tech festive workshop filled with gadgets, traps, and holiday mayhem. It’s a warm, funny holiday tale about family and togetherness sprinkled with a healthy dose of classic Aardman-style mischief.
4
‘A Claymation Christmas Celebration’ (1987)
Directed by Will Vinton – a legend in the Claymation field, A Claymation Christmas Celebration is a stop-motion film presented as a holiday special featuring two clay dinosaur hosts, Rex and Herb, who introduce a series of whimsical musical segments. Each segment presents a different Christmas carol performed in a unique claymation style, ranging from a group of anthropomorphic church bells who strike their own heads with chime hammers to achieve their respective notes to raisins performing Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, in the style of The Temptations.
Combining gorgeous, groundbreaking claymation with Vinton’s unique brand of surreal humor, it was a huge hit, winning the 1988 Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Animated Program. It’s wacky, irreverent, and full of heart – perfect for a cold winter’s night with the family.
3
‘The Little Drummer Boy’ (1968)
The Little Drummer Boy is surprisingly dark for a Rankin/Bass family-focused Christmas film. It tells the story of a young Jewish boy named Aaron whose life is thrown into disarray when his parents are killed by bandits, leaving him with only animals as companions. A talented drummer, Aaron’s skills get noticed by a Caravan troupe who kidnap him and force him to perform with them. Eventually, fate leads him to Bethlehem, along with three wise men, where he meets the baby Jesus and offers his drumming talent as a present to the infant and his parents.
The movie’s darker tone and early, rudimentary animation style give The Little Drummer Boy a certain gritty feel that, while not typical for a festive film, certainly makes it stand out. And while Aaron may spend much of the film angry at the world, it ends with a simple message of hope and forgiveness. It’s this blend of emotional weight and spiritual resonance, combined with its timeless music, that makes it such a revered entry among Rankin/Bass classics.
2
‘Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer’ (1964)
Based on the famous song which, itself, is based on a poem, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer is the first and most beloved of all the Rankin/Bass Christmas specials. It follows the story of the much-maligned titular Reindeer who faces scrutiny for his bright red nose. He is able to prove himself, though, when his glowing nose is able to guide Santa and the other reindeer through a snowstorm, saving Christmas as a result.
It was met with universal acclaim upon its release, with critics praising its ability to delight younger audiences with its cute stop motion animation style, catchy musical numbers, and heart-warming story, whilst keeping grown-ups entertained with some well-placed adult wit and a sprinkling of satire. The film has become a staple of the holidays and continues to be played at Christmastime to this day.
1
‘The Nightmare Before Christmas’ (1993)
Henry Sellick’s directorial debut has gone down in history as one of the most iconic and groundbreaking stop-motion animated movies ever. With a strong cult following still thriving today, 1993’s The Nightmare Before Christmas follows the macabre tale of Jack Skellington as he attempts to bring the Christmas spirit to his home of Halloween Town.
The movie’s innovative stop-motion animation involved the use of highly detailed miniature sets and character puppets. Painstakingly animated frame by frame, Selick brought to life Tim Burton’s characters using advanced lighting effects and clever camera work. Combined with Danny Elfman’s whimsical, gothic-tinged soundtrack, a truly original story, and fantastic voice work, everything comes together to create the greatest stop-motion Christmas movie of all time.