# Is "Die Hard" a Christmas Movie? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** movies\ **Created:** [December 2, 2013, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-die-hard-a-christmas-movie/675283 "2013-12-02T14:48:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 33
**Author:** ![Horatius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/horatius/32/3572_2.png) [@Horatius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatius)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2025, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-die-hard-a-christmas-movie/675283/642 "2025-12-15T16:06:48Z")
> [@markn\_1](#): > > _Home Alone_ is borderline. It would take some work, but not a tremendous amount, to have the family vacation be for some other reason and remove all other Christmas references. By contrast, to remove all Christmas references in _Die Hard_ would be trivial. But both _Die Hard_ and _Home Alone_ do have Christmas, as a unique holiday, as central parts of their plots. The robberies in both are built around the timing of Christmas, because it’s the only holiday of the year, really the only day of the year, in which both Nakitomi Plaza and the rich neighborhood would be completely or nearly-completely empty. Hans Gruber wanted only the Nakitomi people there, and only because he wanted the password to the vault. Any other day, and there’d be hundreds or maybe thousands of people in that building. His escape plan relied on being able to kill all the witnesses in such a fashion that it would be very difficult to prove the robbers weren’t among the dead. Can’t do that so easily with hundreds of people. Similarly, the Wet Bandits had staked out the neighborhood, knowing that all the rich families would be away on vacation, so they could rob all the houses at their leisure, without worrying that someone would notice activity at one house, that they knew was supposed to be empty. The only day on which you could reasonably expect them to _all_ be away at the same time would be Christmas. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2025, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-die-hard-a-christmas-movie/675283/643 "2025-12-15T16:10:39Z")
> [@muldoonthief](#): > > You’d have to remove the “Now I have a machine gun. Ho. Ho. Ho.” scene, Not to mention the “Season’s Greetings” tape which McClane uses to secure the gun to his back. ---
**Author:** ![AlsoNamedBort](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alsonamedbort/32/3213_2.png) [@AlsoNamedBort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AlsoNamedBort)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2025, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-die-hard-a-christmas-movie/675283/644 "2025-12-15T16:35:03Z")
> [@Horatius](#): > > Similarly, the Wet Bandits had staked out the neighborhood, knowing that all the rich families would be away on vacation, so they could rob all the houses at their leisure, without worrying that someone would notice activity at one house, that they knew was supposed to be empty. The only day on which you could reasonably expect them to _all_ be away at the same time would be Christmas. Also, the neighborhood is empty, so they can’t find anyone to check on Kevin. And the Mom has such a hard time getting home because all the flights are either cancelled due to weather or fully booked. ---
**Author:** ![outlierrn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/outlierrn/32/3005_2.png) [@outlierrn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/outlierrn)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2025, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-die-hard-a-christmas-movie/675283/645 "2025-12-15T20:47:33Z")
Well, in my opinion, you could have a private corporate event celebrating the completion of the building’s construction, which will be opening in the morning with a ribbon cutting ceremony combined with Holly facing a decision to commit to a promotion and a renewed contract vs renewed family involvement and you have the same movie, except for the mood whiplash of Christmas to murder. ---
**Author:** ![Zoobi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/13edae/32.png) [@Zoobi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zoobi)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2025, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-die-hard-a-christmas-movie/675283/646 "2025-12-15T20:50:03Z")
Die Hard has one the best endings for a Christmas movie, Hans down. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2025, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-die-hard-a-christmas-movie/675283/647 "2025-12-15T20:56:15Z")
> [@Gorsnak](#): > > The fact that it’s Christmas Eve explains why Nakatomi corp is having a company social event in the tower, why the entire district is otherwise completely deserted, and why McClane has traveled across the country to visit his estranged family. I suppose you could make it Thanksgiving instead, Or New years. ---
**Author:** ![Zoobi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/13edae/32.png) [@Zoobi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zoobi)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2025, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-die-hard-a-christmas-movie/675283/648 "2025-12-15T20:57:27Z")
Yeah but they didn’t ---
**Author:** ![Horatius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/horatius/32/3572_2.png) [@Horatius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatius)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2025, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-die-hard-a-christmas-movie/675283/649 "2025-12-15T21:08:13Z")
> [@outlierrn](#): > > Well, in my opinion, you could have a private corporate event celebrating the completion of the building’s construction, But would they have already stored all those bearer bonds in the vault, if the building has just been completed? And there’d still be lots more people there. Even if no other tenants have moved in yet, you’d still need building staff and the like, which increases the number of witnesses they would have to deal with. Letting such staff go home early on Christmas Eve makes sense, but not having them there for the day the building officially opens? Implausible. ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2025, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-die-hard-a-christmas-movie/675283/650 "2025-12-15T21:21:13Z")
If _Die Hard_ is a Christmas movie, why isn’t “Stagger Lee” a Christmas song? ---
**Author:** ![outlierrn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/outlierrn/32/3005_2.png) [@outlierrn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/outlierrn)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2025, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-die-hard-a-christmas-movie/675283/651 "2025-12-15T21:32:03Z")
> [@Johanna](#): > > Stagger Lee The same reason ‘Sleigh Ride’ _is_, enough people say it is. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2025, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-die-hard-a-christmas-movie/675283/652 "2025-12-15T22:02:07Z")
Ahhhh…the revival of this thread is as sure a harbinger of the Christmas season as the appearance of the pop-up Hickory Farms store at North Star Mall. Jingle those bells, y’all! 🎄 And yes, _Die Hard_ is a Christmas movie in my book. So is _Trading Places._ ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2025, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-die-hard-a-christmas-movie/675283/653 "2025-12-15T22:48:27Z")
And _Gremlins_. ---
**Author:** ![outlierrn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/outlierrn/32/3005_2.png) [@outlierrn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/outlierrn)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2025, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-die-hard-a-christmas-movie/675283/654 "2025-12-15T23:03:31Z")
> [@Horatius](#): > > Implausible Fair to say, I suppose, but of implausible things in Die Hard, that doesn’t even crack to top 20. ---
**Author:** ![Quimby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/22d042/32.png) [@Quimby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quimby)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2025, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-die-hard-a-christmas-movie/675283/655 "2025-12-16T01:10:38Z")
There is nothing about Christmas in Jingle Bells but it’s a Christmas song. Similarly, there was a companion thread to this one asking if Linus and Lucy (the Charlie Brown theme) is a Christmas song. Most people (not me but most) consider it one. As I wrote in a post last year I think, many people consider Lord of the Rings a Christmas movie now because they all came out in December and people tend to rewatch them around the holidays. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2025, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-die-hard-a-christmas-movie/675283/656 "2025-12-16T01:16:43Z")
> [@Quimby](#): > > There is nothing about Christmas in Jingle Bells but it’s a Christmas song It is really a WINTER song. ---
**Author:** ![Zoobi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/13edae/32.png) [@Zoobi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zoobi)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2025, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-die-hard-a-christmas-movie/675283/657 "2025-12-16T01:25:24Z")
Could be an autumn or spring song. Especially if one removes the snow. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2025, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-die-hard-a-christmas-movie/675283/658 "2025-12-16T01:52:39Z")
What about Australia? They’re not likely to have snow during the Christmas season. Think about that. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2025, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-die-hard-a-christmas-movie/675283/659 "2025-12-16T01:54:02Z")
I never considered Die Hard a Christmas movie. It’s much too violent for a holiday film. I guess it has become a viewing tradition for some families. Much like It’s a Wonderful Life. It used to run constantly on cable and built an holiday audience. ---
**Author:** ![Zoobi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/13edae/32.png) [@Zoobi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zoobi)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2025, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-die-hard-a-christmas-movie/675283/660 "2025-12-16T02:19:03Z")
Jesus is for the northern hemisphere only. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2025, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-die-hard-a-christmas-movie/675283/661 "2025-12-16T20:01:17Z")
> [@ThelmaLou](#): > > What about Australia? They’re not likely to have snow during the Christmas season. Think about that. > [@Zoobi](#): > > Jesus is for the northern hemisphere only. I live in California, and am also unlikely to get snow during the Christmas season. Just sayin’. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-die-hard-a-christmas-movie/675283.md?page=32) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-die-hard-a-christmas-movie/675283.md?page=34)