The 21 Best Christmas Movies and Specials on the Web in 2021

Premium streaming platforms like Netflix and Amazon Prime Video have plenty of popular Christmas movies. Still, many Christmas movies are available for free on the web from sites like YouTube.

Whether you love romantic Christmas movies, animated Christmas movies, or inspiring and dramatic movies, there's something here for everyone!

Some of the movies and specials shared below may be pulled offline at any time due to copyright violations. Video-sharing sites like Dailymotion are typically not authorized to host this type of copyrighted content. However, users sometimes get away with uploading copyrighted content if they're not caught or reported immediately.

01

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A Christmas Story

Set in 1940, the beloved story of Ralphie Parker and his Christmas wish for a Red Ryder BB gun is one that practically every kid—young or old—can relate to on some level.

Watch A Christmas Story

02

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How the Grinch Stole Christmas

From the catchy soundtrack to the captivating rhymes, the animated adaptation of Dr. Seuss's original tale How the Grinch Stole Christmas is among the most well-known animated Christmas movies, which people continue to watch decades after it first aired.

Watch How the Grinch Stole Christmas

03

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Babar and Father Christmas

Based on the original children's book, this holiday-themed TV special of Babar the Elephant will delight kids of today and adults who grew up watching the show.

Watch Babar and Father Christmas

04

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Mickey's Christmas Carol

This kid-friendly adaptation of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol features some of your favorite Walt Disney characters, including Donald Duck as Ebenezer Scrooge, Mickey Mouse as Bob Cratchit, and more.

Watch Mickey's Christmas Carol

05

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Ernest Saves Christmas

Kids who grew up through the late 80s will likely remember the funny kids' TV series Hey Vern, It's Ernest! and the infamous Christmas movie based on the show, in which Ernest scrambles to find a replacement Santa Claus.

Watch Ernest Saves Christmas

06

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A Special Sesame Street Christmas

Although it features only three of the muppets (Oscar the Grouch, Big Bird, and Barkley), this Sesame Street Christmas special is one to remember. It takes inspiration from Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol, where Oscar takes on the role of Ebenezer Scrooge.

Watch A Special Sesame Street Christmas

07

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Noel

Follow the lives of five people who come together to find the true meaning of Christmas. This movie stars some big-name celebrities, including Susan Sarandon, Robin Williams, Paul Walker, and Penelope Cruz.

Watch Noel

08

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Scrooge

Based on Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol, this 1935 version was among the first films to feature sound. The quality may not be great, but it's still an incredible Christmas classic!

Watch Scrooge

09

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The Christmas Carol

This shorter, low-budget adaptation of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol is another great TV special worth watching if you love to indulge in classic black and white masterpieces.

Watch The Christmas Carol

10

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Miracle on 34th Street

This Christmas special from the TV series The 20th-Century Fox Hour is based on the original 1947 film. The 45-minute adaptation features a department store Santa Claus who thinks he's a real one.

Watch Miracle on 34th Street

11

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The Heart of Christmas (2011 Drama Film)

Starring Candace Cameron Bure, this inspiring story of a child's battle with acute leukemia shows how people can come together in the worst of times to find faith and spread love. This film is based on a true story.

Watch The Heart of Christmas

12

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My Santa

Watch as a single mother falls in love with a Santa Claus who works at a mall. What she doesn't know is that he's the son of the real Santa, and he's looking to find his very own Mrs. Claus!

Watch My Santa

13

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12 Dog Days Till Christmas

This movie is perfect for dog-loving adults and kids of all ages. A troubled teenager is forced to work at an animal shelter, then finds out he only has 12 days to find homes for all the dogs before the shelter closes by Christmas.

Watch 12 Dog Days Till Christmas

14

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Santa Claws

We weren't going to let cat lovers miss out on this movie list! In Santa Claws, a boy asks for a kitten for Christmas, even though Santa Claus is allergic to cats. Before you know it, Santa is suffering a severe allergy attack, and the kittens have to band together to finish delivering his gifts.

Watch Santa Claws

15

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Christmas for a Dollar

Set during the Great Depression, Christmas for a Dollar tells the story of a struggling family dealing with the death of a wife and mother. Just when they expect no gifts for Christmas, the children's father gives them one dollar to spend on gifts for each other.

Watch Christmas for a Dollar

16

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The Wizard's Christmas

Perfect for kids and the whole family, this exciting animated movie will wisp you away to a fantasy land where a wizard's apprentice is faced with the task of correcting what the Dark Wizard did on Christmas Eve many years ago.

Watch The Wizard's Christmas

17

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Christmas in the Heartland

Two teenage girls who are seemingly completely different become friends while seated next to each other on a plane. Both are on their way to visit family they've never met for Christmas, and they decide to switch places.

Watch Christmas in the Heartland

18

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Paper Angels

In this movie, the Salvation Army's Angel Tree Program connects a man and a boy during difficult times in their lives. Through their hardships, they end up discovering the true meaning of Christmas.

Watch Paper Angels

19

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Dear Santa

This one is for the shopaholics. The wealthy parents of a young woman who can't control her spending finally decide to cut her off, unless she changes her spending habits by Christmas. In an effort to change her ways, she falls for the owner of a soup kitchen after reading his daughter's letter to Santa, in which she asks for a new wife for her father.

Watch Dear Santa

20

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Married by Christmas

A workaholic has to find a fiancé by Christmas after learning from her parents that the first of her siblings to marry will inherit the family business. With her sister planning to get married on Christmas Eve, she has no time to waste!

Watch Married by Christmas

21

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Krampus: The Christmas Devil

Even though Christmas is a cheery time of year, we weren't going to leave out the horror enthusiasts! This chilling flick isn't for young kids. It features a devil who terrorizes a town by killing naughty children as the police try to hunt it down.

Watch Krampus: The Christmas Devil

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