Is Die Hard a Christmas Movie?

From the first time Hans Gruber fell from the tower, the discussion of whether or not Die Hard is a Christmas Movie or not has been argued.

Die Hard is an action-packed movie starring Bruce Willis as Detective John McClane, a cop that’s run-down, irritating, and more capable than most people can ever dream of being. This is the original movie n the Die Hard series, and from the beginning of the holiday-themed discussion, it has been used as holiday fodder on ugly sweaters, decorations, and various lighting themes for many years.

The People Have Spoken

How can you find out if something that doesn’t seem to be what it could be is actually what it is? One way to do this is by offering a poll to see if you can come up with a definitive answer to a question that’s been bothering people. Similar to “why the chicken crossed the road,” or “which came first, the chicken or the egg,” the conversation about Die Hard can only be answered with a poll. After IGN polled over 23,000 readers, the results were overwhelmingly in favor of this action movie also being classified as a Christmas movie. The score was 78% in favor of it being classified this way.

Are There Any Reasons Why Die Hard Should be Considered a Christmas Movie?

For a movie to be classified as a holiday film, it needs to have some elements of it that bring the holiday spirit to life. There are at least seven reasons why this film can be considered a Christmas Movie. Let’s take a look at these reasons and see if you’re swayed one way or the other to understand what makes this action film one that can be found in the holiday section of the streaming app used.

The Movie Takes Place During an Office Christmas Party

We’ve all heard of office Christmas Party shenanigans that make things uncomfortable and memorable when returning to work after the holiday season. It Hans Gruber crashed your party, you would certainly remember it. Why would the criminals pick an office Christmas Party as the right time to attack? They need the executives to be present and security to be loose to make their plan work. Most companies don’t get together like this at any other time of the year. This setting could be enough to land it in the holiday section.

The Soundtrack from the Film is Distinctly Holiday-Themed

You could tune your audio app to the Die Hard Soundtrack, and you’ll find a ton of great holiday songs that you love to sing along with and enjoy. Most of these songs can be heard in the background of the film, offering the right environment for this film to be considered a Christmas movie. The soundtrack features songs including “Winter Wonderland,” “Let it Snow!,” “Christmas in Hollis,” and “Ode to Joy,” to name a few that you’ll find. Are these songs enough to push this movie into the Hallmark run of holiday classics?

John’s Wife Has a Christmas-Time Name

Holly bushes are part of the décor during Christmas, and the wife of John McClane is also named Holly. This might be a bit of a stretch. Many women are named Holly, but this particular name could have been anything else and not a holiday-themed name that reminds us of the “boughs of holly” that we admire and enjoy during the Christmas season.

Gifts Are Exchanged During the Movie

You don’t see gifts directly exchanged in the traditional sense of a Christmas Special, but Harry Ellis gives Holly a Rolex watch as a company present, and Al buys snacks for his pregnant wife and a convenience store with holiday decorations. The movie doesn’t stray from the holiday timeframe, and we see gifts and decorations that allow this movie to be set in the right time for it to be considered a Christmas movie. It doesn’t matter that there’s fighting and gunshots; no one ever said all holiday movies had to be wholesome or religious.

Even During the Fighting John Shows Some Christmas Spirit

During the movie, the first person that John takes out is Tony, and this begins the holiday fun of the fighting that ensues. John sends Tony’s dead body down to Hans in an elevator wearing a Santa hat and a message. The message reads, “Now I have a machine gun. Ho, ho, ho” on his shirt. How could you better present the fact that Die Hard is certainly a Christmas movie?

The Magic of Snow in Los Angeles Occurs at the End of the Movie

Snow doesn’t fall in Los Angeles often, even at Christmastime. The last time it did, was in 1962, and during this movie, we see the snow begin to fall at the end of the film. Considering the movie takes place in Los Angeles, this is certainly a bit of holiday magic. How better to conclude a Christmas movie than to show something as magical as Santa Claus? In this case, it’s the snow falling in an area that rarely ever sees this wonderful winter precipitation.

More People Watch Die Hard Than Other Movies on Christmas Eve

Of the movies you might expect people to watch on Christmas Eve, more chose Die Hard than some other traditional favorites, including “Home Alone,” “Miracle on 34th Street,” and “The Santa Clause.” The fact that Die Hard is even in the mix as a movie watched on the night before Christmas should be definitive proof that this is a Christmas Movie.

What is the Timeline of Die Hard?

The entire movie Die Hard takes place on Christmas Eve at Nakatomi Plaza during the company Christmas Party. While it’s unlikely that an entire company would be at a party the night before Christmas, many movies are relatively unlikely in nature. The movie concludes as we move into Christmas, which means this movie does not change to a different season or have any timeline shifts.

Whether you like it or not, the facts are hard to argue with; Die Hard is in fact, a Christmas Movie. It might not get you into the holiday spirit, but it could be the action-packed change of pace from your Hallmark lineup to give you something that gets your adrenaline flowing during the holidays.