Animated Christmas Favorites

Every animated Christmas favorite in the guide: the 2026 specials first, then the classics, from Rankin/Bass stop-motion (the claymation-style look of Rudolph and friends) to A Charlie Brown Christmas and The Polar Express. Times are Eastern and dates can change.

Browse more themes: Romance · Faith & inspiration · Kids & family · Classics · Comedies · Animated · 2026 Christmas movies by network

New 2026 animated specials

• Snoopy Presents: 12 Days of Snoopy Premieres Nov 13, 2026
  Snoopy lands on Santa's naughty list and sets out to prove he's not such a bad beagle. Music by John Legend, Kamasi Washington with Leon Bridges, and Laufey.
• A Proud Family Wizmas Premieres Nov 14, 2026
  In this stop-motion musical special, Penny Proud accidentally destroys Christmas, then reluctantly agrees to make things right and save it for the children of... Stop-motion
• Bob's Burgers: On the Fort Day of Christmas Premieres Dec 7, 2026
  A record-breaking Christmas snowstorm means one thing to the Belcher kids: a record-breaking Christmas snow fort.

Classic animated movies and specials

• Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer Originally Dec 6, 1964 (TV)
  The stop-motion Rankin/Bass special about a reindeer with a glowing nose who finds he is needed on Christmas Eve. Stop-motion
• A Charlie Brown Christmas Originally Dec 9, 1965 (TV)
  Charlie Brown looks for the true meaning of Christmas with a sad little tree and a Vince Guaraldi score.
• How the Grinch Stole Christmas! Originally Dec 18, 1966 (TV)
  Dr. Seuss's animated tale of a grump who tries to steal Christmas from the Whos.
• Frosty the Snowman Originally 1969 (TV)
  A magic silk hat brings a snowman to life, and he must get to the North Pole before he melts.
• Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town Originally 1970 (TV)
  Rankin/Bass tells how a foundling raised by toymakers became Santa Claus. Stop-motion
• The Year Without a Santa Claus Originally 1974 (TV)
  A cold-stricken Santa decides to skip Christmas, and Mrs. Claus sends elves to change his mind. Featuring the Heat Miser and Snow Miser. Stop-motion
• Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas Originally 1993
  Halloween Town's Pumpkin King discovers Christmas Town and tries to take over the holiday, putting Santa in jeopardy. Stop-motion
• The Polar Express Originally 2004
  A doubting boy boards a magical train to the North Pole on Christmas Eve. Motion-capture animation

How this list is picked

A title earns its place when animation is how it is made: traditional animation, stop-motion or motion-capture. Puppetry, like Fraggle Rock: A Holiday Gift, is wonderful but is not animation, so it stays off this list. Most of these titles also appear on the Kids & family page, which is organized by age; this page collects them by how they are made. Last updated Thu, Oct 22, 2026.