25 Christmas Cartoons for a Festive Atmosphere
Watching Christmas and holiday cartoons is part of the ritual to create that magical holiday feeling. The secret is that you can do this at any time of year. Turn on the playlist, draw the curtains on the summer sunshine, and suddenly you're mentally in snow-covered December.
The reasons behind this magical effect are deeply rooted in us, and we will carefully examine them one by one before revealing the most colorful holiday cartoons from various years.
Why Christmas Cartoons Create Our Holiday Mood
While it's clear why we might want to snuggle under a blanket or sip cocoa in winter, it’s less obvious why we’re drawn to rituals and await miracles with holiday cartoons. We've identified four key reasons beyond the quality of animation or box office success:
- Nostalgia effect — This is the first and most important factor. To illustrate its impact, we’ve included several classic Disney cartoons in our selection. The soft animation featuring warm glowing candles, fluffy blankets and comforters, in which cartoon characters wrap themselves, brings us back. We instantly associate what's happening on screen with an innocent childhood filled with these now old cartoons, a cozy blanket, Christmas cookies, and caring parents.
- Winter atmosphere — It's rare for children's holiday stories to depict bitter cold, twilight chill, and icicles hanging from rooftops. Cartoons paint winter as warmer than summer with their soft, light color palettes. Even if characters on screen shiver from the cold, the special colors convey a sense of calm and coziness.
- Safe scare — A beloved effect, much like enjoying horror films at home surrounded by family. The thrill of safety despite fear is profound. When characters get tangled in the enchanted winter forest, icy storms, or flee Christmas ghosts or wolves, they inevitably find rescue. We worry for our favorite heroes, but feel comfort and safety knowing they're bound to warm up and be safe. Holiday animation comforts us even when we're meant to be afraid.
- Holiday melodies — We know the tunes from popular holiday cartoons by heart, even if we don’t intend to. They're everywhere — in ads, at fairs, elevators, public transport, and even on TikTok. The holidays sneak up on us from every corner, largely thanks to their music.
The Older the Cartoon, the Cozier?
Older holiday cartoons appear cozier than modern ones due to:
- Smoother animation — Modern cartoons feature dynamic editing and often resemble live-action films, whereas vintage ones have a gentle pace of frame changes.
- Pastel shades used in characters and the world around them — Earlier cartoons used tricks to soften visuals. They used warm colors, blurred contours, and diffused lighting. Characters appeared uneven and natural compared to today’s perfect computer models.
- Muted voiceovers — Watching old cartoons, you might be surprised by the powerful effect of the analog-narrated voices. Soft, deep, slightly static-filled — ruggedly akin to modern ASMR. Fewer high-pitched frequencies mean more relaxing effects, while today’s cartoons often have soundtracks reminiscent of action movies.
25 Christmas Cartoons
December 25th marks Christmas, and we’ve gathered 25 carefully selected holiday-themed cartoons in a convenient collection, sorted by the authoritative IMDb ratings, so you don't have to check them individually.
1. The Happy Elf
IMDb: 5.1
Overview: Joyful elf Eubie works for kind-hearted Santa and takes an interest in a town where every child is on the naughty list. He must figure out what's happening and help the townspeople of Bluesville have a merry Christmas.
2. The Boss Baby: Christmas Bonus
IMDb: 5.3
Overview: Boss Baby is no ordinary child; his seriousness and strictness resemble an adult. What happens when this little one ends up working as an elf for Santa?
3. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
IMDb: 5.8
Overview: An unusual reindeer with a nose as red as an ornament dreams of joining Santa's famous sleigh team. To achieve his goal, he must overcome rejection from his hometown, fight real villains, and make a life-changing decision.
4. Scrooge: A Christmas Carol
IMDb: 6.2
Overview: A fresh take on the classic British tale of the miserly, life-worn Scrooge, who still has a chance to change his life despite his old age.
5. Barbie: A Christmas Carol
IMDb: 6.3
Overview: Adaptation of Charles Dickens' "Christmas Stories" with Barbie as the main character. The tale takes us through the story of a selfish woman who hates Christmas and encounters challenges that could either change her into a better person or leave her continuing her lonely existence in suspicion.
6. The Grinch
IMDb: 6.4
Overview: The fuzzy green grouch Grinch spends his pre-Christmas days causing mischief for the people in the town below his lonely mountain. He resents the joyful folks and plans to steal their holiday, plunging the area into gloom and silence.
7. The Rockin’ Tiny Batman
IMDb: 6.4
Overview: Young Damian, son of Bruce Wayne and heir to his business empire, finds himself confronting Gotham's notorious villains on his own on Christmas Eve. During this crucial time, he must take on adult responsibilities and become a hero and protector for the vulnerable.
8. Ice Age: A Mammoth Christmas
IMDb: 6.4
Overview: Clumsy Sid, whose antics often trigger the Ice Age gang's adventures, inadvertently lands on Santa's naughty list by breaking a magical stone. Good-hearted friends join forces to journey to the unforgiving North Pole and seek forgiveness from the jolly winter wizard.
9. Bugs Bunny's Looney Christmas Tales
IMDb: 6.6
Overview: Three Christmas stories featuring Looney Tunes characters who find themselves in hilarious situations on the eve of the holiday. Starring Bugs Bunny, the Tasmanian Devil, Wile E. Coyote, and the Road Runner.
10. The Polar Express
IMDb: 6.6
Overview: The protagonist, Chris, doesn't believe in Christmas or Santa and finds himself on the Polar Express bound for the real North Pole. He must make new friends and either regain his holiday spirit, which young adulthood will test, or carry it into his senior years.
11. Mickey's Magical Christmas
IMDb: 6.6
Overview: Mickey Mouse, Disney's main showman, spends Christmas Eve with friends and colleagues. When the club where they sang and danced gets buried under deep snow, they decide to celebrate there together.
12. A Christmas Carol
IMDb: 6.8
Overview: The ancient moral story about grumpy Ebenezer Scrooge and his assistant Bob. Two very different people and two intertwining fates. Whether he wants it or not, Scrooge will have to learn far more about life than he's used to seeing from his secluded shell.
13. This Christmas (2024)
IMDb: 6.8
Overview: Four Christmas stories based on children's books by Richard Curtis. The plots featuring a boy, twins, a teacher, and a girl explore themes of family, love, loneliness, and friendship.
14. Tinker Bell and the Secret of the Wings
IMDb: 7.0
Overview: Fairy Tinker Bell finds herself at the border of the Autumn and Winter woods with a mysterious problem. She’s forced to uncover the secret of her origin, learn what powers she truly holds, and find new friends.
15. Robin (2021)
IMDb: 7.0
Overview: A new puppet animated film from Netflix tells the story of a little robin, raised by a family of mice. To prove she can fit in with a society different from herself, she decides to steal the Christmas star.
16. Arthur Christmas
IMDb: 7.1
Overview: No one takes Arthur, Santa's youngest son working in Claus' mail department, seriously. One day, he receives a letter from a girl who was accidentally missed on the gift list. Arthur decides to save her special Christmas on his own.
17. Balto
IMDb: 7.1
Overview: Everyone sees Balto the dog as a stray. He dreams of joining a team of professional sled dogs and falls for the beautiful husky, Jenna, whose young owner catches a dangerous illness. Balto decides to help his fellow dogs deliver rare medicine through a raging snowstorm and save the child.
18. Rise of the Guardians
IMDb: 7.2
Overview: Santa Claus, Jack Frost, the Tooth Fairy, the Easter Bunny, and the Sandman are united by a mission to protect children's sweet dreams from the nightmare villain, Pitch.
19. Shaun The Sheep: A Flight Before Christmas
IMDb: 7.2
Overview: A special episode of the British series about a flock of sheep and their leader, Shaun. Preparing for Christmas and hurrying to decorate on time, Shaun and Timmy find that their stocking ambitions outstrip their actual socks. On the hunt for bigger stockings, they head to a nearby farm where unexpected events unfold.
20. The Muppet Christmas Carol
IMDb: 7.8
Overview: Gonzo and Rizzo narrate the story of the greedy Scrooge visited by two shackled ghosts on Christmas Eve. This magical night promises to be truly unforgettable for Ebenezer for the first time.
21. Tom and Jerry: The Night Before Christmas (1941)
IMDb: 7.9
Overview: Tom and Jerry stick to their usual antics even on the night before Christmas. The mouse scurries around the house in search of cheese, causing chaos, while the cat continues his relentless chase. Things take an interesting turn when Jerry decides to play pranks with the tree decorations.
22. The Nightmare Before Christmas
IMDb: 7.9
Overview: One day, Halloween's king Jack Skellington stumbles upon a magical clearing with mysterious doors. Inside, various holidays await, but Jack chooses Christmas. He gets swept up by the holiday spirit and decides to host the celebration himself, even aiming to become its new icon — the next Santa.
23. Garfield's Christmas
IMDb: 8
Overview: A cozy Christmas cartoon about how the self-centered, chubby cat Garfield travels with his owners to visit Grandma on the farm. There, amidst the tasks of preparing the traditional dinner and decorating the tree, Garfield is touched by the holiday spirit, finds common ground with everyone, and even manages to give a sincere present.
24. Klaus
IMDb: 8.2
Overview: A young spoiled postman Jesper is sent by his father to a remote, freezing town called Smeerensburg. He has to stay there until he establishes a regular postal service with the rest of the world and fixes the lives of his new acquaintances. Among them is the actual Santa Claus.
25. A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965)
IMDb: 8.3
Overview: Overview: Feeling blue amid the season’s cheer, Charlie Brown agrees to direct the school Christmas play—only to be mocked for picking a scrawny little tree. With help from Linus and the gang (and those now-iconic jazz melodies), he rediscovers what the holiday is really about.
Conclusion
These 25 animated stories, varied in genre and style, will become an integral part of your traditional winter family evenings. Whether you prefer classic tales or bold modern animation experiments, each of these films will bring you a smile and a holiday spirit.