It just wouldn’t be the Christmas season for many if they didn’t spend time on the couch to watch their favorite holiday movie – and sometimes more than once.
It’s the most wonderful time of the year for those who look forward to watching Christmas flicks all throughout December. Thanks to streaming services, people no longer have to wait until a network or local station decides to air the film.
Everyone has their favorite Christmas film. At BetCarolina, we took a quick break from our NC sports betting coverage because we wanted to know what Tar Heel residents want to watch this holiday season. Using Google Trends, we identified North Carolina’s most popular Christmas movies by looking at the search results of each movie over the past three Christmases. The movies included the 40 most popular Christmas movies over the past year based on global traffic from AhRefs.
Rank | Christmas Movies | Interest Over Time |
1 | Home Alone | 10 |
T2 | How The Grinch Stole Christmas (2000) | 8 |
T2 | National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation | 8 |
4 | The Polar Express | 7 |
T5 | A Christmas Story | 6 |
T5 | Elf | 6 |
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North Carolina’s favorite Christmas films definitely favor the funny bone, though some tug at the heartstrings, too.
It’s no surprise “Home Alone” ranks at the top of the list. The Macaulay Culkin film has been a holiday classic pretty much since it hit theaters in 1990. While it did spawn several sequels, none of those have held up like the original. The movie is available this season on Disney+, so you can watch it whenever or however many times you like.
Of the top three on this list, the most modern one is still 24 years old. Jim Carrey’s take on “How The Grinch Stole Christmas” adds some backstory to the Dr. Seuss classic by showing how the Grinch became the way he was. While it received mixed reviews when it hit movie theaters, it has since won over the public. This year the film, directed by Ron Howard, will air on FX then appear on streaming platform Peacock later this month.
“National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation” turns 35 this year, but the movie seems timeless. The language might be a little salty for some, but the cast featuring Chevy Chase, Beverly D’Angelo and Randy Quaid features a lot of hilarious scenes and some very quotable lines. AMC will air the movie throughout December, but if you prefer to watch your holiday classics commercial-free, it’s available on Disney+ and Max.
To keep up the holiday spirit, check out our story on whether North Carolinians prefer a real or artificial Christmas tree, only at BetCarolina.com.
Author
As a writer and analyst for BetCarolina.com, Steve not only covers gaming news and developments in North Carolina but also provides insights into what they mean for bettors, licensed operators and the state. A veteran journalist with 25 years of experience covering sports, politics and business, Steve has reported on the gambling industry intently over the past five years.
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