December chills, in your hand a cup of hot chocolate. and some floating marshmallows in it, wrapped in a blanket, you are watching Christmas movies on the TV. it doesn’t get any better than that. Even though you might have watched some of these classics over and over again, and you think you know every scene by heart, there are some “Easter Eggs”, cameos, and hidden messages in these movies that even the biggest Christmas movie fanatics among us have missed. Keep reading to find out the best-hidden details in your favorite Christmas movies and have the best rewatching experience this Christmas season.
Home Alone
You have probably been living under a rock or in outer space if you have not seen at least one of the Home Alone movies. This movie might be one of the most rewatchable things on TV, ever! But even so, there are some things that we have missed in the first thousand times watching it. For example, did you know that Marv’s feet are fake in the scene with the snow?
Or that Kevin’s accident started before he was left home alone? The night before, his plane ticket got accidentally thrown in the trash, making it harder for the family to notice his disappearance at the airport.
The Polar Express
What do the Christmas animated movies The Polar Express and Back to Future have in common? They were directed by the same guy, Robert Zemeckis, who wanted to make sure that there is some trail for the true fans to see. So in this Christmas movie from 2004 he put a flux capacitor straight from Back to Future. But this is not the only Easter egg in The Polar Express.
Another thing in a movie only a few have noticed is the fact that the points of the compass under the Christmas tree at the North Pole all face south.
Elf
In the movie Elf from the year 2003, you might have noticed the name tag saying “Wanda” on Gilbert’s manager. There is a reason behind that. The producers hired the actress Wanda Sykes for the role. But in the end, she gave up the role so Faizon Love took her part, and kept her nametag. And you surely know the scene where Buddy discovers New York. It seemed so real, right?
It’s because it was. Ferrell, with his director and a cameraman, spent a whole day in New York in a costume, and the reactions he got from people are shown in the movie.
Love Actually
While we are on the topic of the scenes with “real people”, non-actors just living the genuine moments of their life, do you remember the opening scene from Love Actually? Well, the scene featuring the heart-warming airport meetings? It turns out that the production was actually there at the airport, filming the scenes and then running to the people to ask them for their permission to be in the movie.
To depict that love is not always easy, creators wrote “burden” in Sarah’s background, which represented the burden of her relationship with her mentally ill brother to her love life.
Planes, Trains, and Automobiles
In this funny yet heartfelt holiday comedy featuring Neal played by Steve Martin and Del portrayed by John Candy, we follow a classic "trying to come home for holidays" storyline. It is the two main characters who together have to overcome this journey and you might guess, become friends on the way. When they have to part ways at the subway station in Chicago there is a hidden message behind Del.
On the billboard, you might read the message “Stay in touch”. This movie can truly make you laugh while making your heart warm, with a teachable message never to judge people.
A Christmas Story
If you have noticed the letter W missing in the word “bowling” marking the Chinese restaurant that used to be a bowling alley at the end of the movie A Christmas Story, you probably thought it’s just a funny accident. But it was made that way on purpose. When the assistant director Ken Goch was a child, he and his family saw a sign saying “Bo ling” thinking it was a Chinese restaurant.
But it turned out to be a bowling alley with the letter W missing, so he decided to pay homage to this funny memory from his childhood in his movie.
Just Friends
Before his fame and the admiration of both men and women, Ryan Reynolds was considered just another one of those romantic comedy movie actors. In this one, he plays a transformed ugly duckling coming home for Christmas and falling for his high school crush all over again. After the scene with the Christmas decorations, more precisely with the demolition of Christmas decorations, there is an interesting detail you might have noticed.
During the whole mess in the front yard, the snowman who was once smiling now had a frowning face, which does not a surprise given that his head was laying on the floor.
Eyes Wide Shut
This movie does not fall into the same Christmas movie category as Home Alone or Elf, but a great part of the storyline is during Christmas. Stanley Kubrick, the director of this movie, is a master at hiding details. For example, you can see a portrait of a cat behind Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman in this one. And it is not just a random painting, it’s Olly, Kubrick’s cat.
There is a lot of symbolism in this movie, take for example the password for the secret society being “Fidelio” referencing Beethoven’s only opera, which is about a loyal wife.
It's a Wonderful Life
Even though the plotline of this movie is centered around Christmas, and there is no better time to watch this than in December next to a Christmas tree, the actual movie was filmed during the summertime. And it was so hot that the production had to shut down for some period because of the heat. You could see that in the movie, especially on James Stewart’s forehead, which was covered in sweat.
Another interesting detail is the scene where Uncle Billy leaves Bailey home and stumbles into something yelling “I’m alright, I’m alright!”. It was unscripted and a result of a crew member’s accident.
Little Women
This movie is a modern adaptation of the classic novel which takes place after the Civil War, and it is released on Christmas day in 2019. There are several interesting details around this movie, like the whole production being in Massachusetts because that is where Louisa Alcott wrote her book. Also, every actor had his color palette which expressed different moments in the movie and helped its general aesthetic appeal.
Laurie and Jo, played by Timothee Chalamet and Saoirse Ronan, were probably assigned with the same palette because in some moments of the movie they actually swap articles of clothing.
A Christmas Carol
Another story with a great number of adaptations, but the one which made this list is the one from 2009 starring Jim Carrey. In this animated version of the story, we can feel the spirit of the original story even though the production is modern. And there is some symbolism in this movie also. In the scene where we see Scrooge's grave, it says that his birthday is on February 7th.
It might seem like a random choice of numbers, but that is a reference to the author of the original story, Charles Dickens himself, who was born on February 7th.
The Nightmare Before Christmas
The Nightmare Before Christmas left everyone watching it excited, both the critics and the fans. Some of the movie details make it truly wholesome, like the release date of the movie12.25.93 which can be seen on Jack Skellington’s calculations. Also, you can see the phrase “chestnuts over an open fire”. Another thing you might have noticed in the movie is that the slot machines are shaped as one-armed bandits.
If you take a look at the “Making Christmas” number, you can see that Cyclops ends up vanishing after a box comes in the frame. It seems kinda spooky, right?
White Christmas
This movie is one of the pioneers of Christmas movies, and one of the first ones to leave the audience in awe. This musical was released in 1954, and it laid the solid grounds for all of the Christmas movies that followed. Some pretty cute details throughout the movie make the whole story even better. At the beginning of the movie, one character is told he should have nine children.
And indeed, by the end of the movie, you can see the character with the whole happy family, with nine little ones. It seems like a true Christmas miracle, doesn’t it?
The Santa Clause
Now this one can go hand in hand with Home Alone if we compare the popularity and the obsession around Christmas. You have probably seen this movie on several different occasions, but have you noticed the elves? Yes, the elves, you can see them everywhere in the movie. In Charlie’s school, they put their coat on at Denny’s, and let's not forget the elf girl walking away from the window at the opening scene.
At one point in the movie, Tim Allen puts on a tool belt, referencing his hit TV show Home Improvement which was a big deal throughout a great part of the 90s.
The Muppet Christmas Carol
Could you imagine Michael Caine walking on the set of The Muppet Christmas Carol which was made for the Muppeteers? Careful foot placement was crucial for Caine in the making of this movie since the scenery was very carefully built. Another fun “coincidence” about the movie is the fact that Caine himself was referenced in the movie. during the final musical scene, a store in the background is called “Micklewhite’s”
Michael Caine’s birth name is Maurice Joseph Micklewhite. Another significance of this movie is that it’s the first muppet movie made without Jim Henson, the main man behind The Muppets.
How the Grinch Stole Christmas
How many times have you called someone who stole other people’s happiness “The Grinch”. This movie is not just greatly popular, it is an important part of pop culture and it’s oftentimes referenced in other pieces. In this movie, there are so many Easter eggs that it’s hard to pick just one. An interesting one is when viewers see the Mount Crumpit coins. On the coins, you can read the phrase “e Pluribus Whonum”.
That is a joke on “e Pluribus Unum” meaning “out of many, one”. If this phrase seems familiar, it’s because you have seen this motto printed on actual US dollars.
Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer
For those a little bit older among us who grew up with the cartoon Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer it might have been a true mystery why Yukon Cornelius is always sticking his ax in the ground and then licking it. Don’t jump to conclusions, he is not all that crazy! It turns out that we missed the original version from 1964, where they show his search for a peppermint mine.
Also, if you look at Hermey, especially his hair and ears shape, you can notice that he is not an elf, and he could easily be a human, maybe that’s why he hates working.
Home Alone
It wouldn’t be right to mention this movie just once. For this champion of all modern Christmas movies, we found so many Easter eggs that it deserves at least two mentions on the list. Did you know that in the scene where Kevin gets disgusted by the picture of Buzz’s girlfriend it is not an actual girl in the picture? It would not be cool to use a picture of a real girl.
They used the picture of the art director’s son and they put a wig on him. It took the director a few shots to get that perfect "yacks" face expression.
Frozen 2
If you have talked to at least one kid in the last few years then you probably know about Frozen. This animated movie is so popular among children, especially girls, that it became a huge part of popular culture. If you are a parent, you probably know the lines by heart by this moment. Not a Christmas movie per se, but the winter wonderland vibe of the movie makes it perfect for this period.
And did you notice that the book Elsa’s dad is reading “from a new Danish author” is the Little Mermaid meaning that the author is none other than Hans Christian Anderson?
Arthur Christmas
This movie is not as popular as Santa Clause or Home Alone movies, but it is worth watching and a real treat for the true Christmas fanatics among us. It is one of those movies a whole family can enjoy, the parents as much as the kids! And check out this cute detail! The main character, Arthur, who is Santa’s son, has one of those funny saying mugs we all probably have.
And can take a guess at what it says? It says “I saw mommy kissing Santa Claus”. The movie genuinely has its way of making both you and your heart laugh.
Gremlins
Gremlins is another one of those movies which became a big part of popular culture but when you look at it from an adult’s perspective it is in reality quite creepy. Also, Gremlins is referenced very often in other movies even outside the Christmas movie context, and the movie itself contains references to other popular movies of the time. Did you see what was inside that pile of toys for example?
It includes an E.T. doll which is a reference to Steven Spielberg, the executive producer of Gremlins, and Bugs Bunny characters, referencing Warners Bros., which is the production company of the movies.
The Christmas Chronicles
You probably noticed on this list that big productions often reference their other work in their other movies, so why shouldn’t Netflix do that? It sure seems like a great strategy to get new subscribers. In the movie The Christmas Chronicles starring Kurt Russell, a brother, and a sister go on a mission to capture Santa Clause on camera. In one of the scenes, we can see the valley watching a Netflix series.
It’s Stranger Things, a very popular Netflix show airing from 2016. Even though this show needs no extra marketing, this hidden Easter egg is a nice tribute to the show.
The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause
Similar to Home Alone and basically any movie that has a number higher than two regarding the sequel, the third installment of The Santa Clause did not reach the success of his first two versions, but the numbers were quite solid. The production had a $12 million budget, and it made $110.8 million at the box office. Again, this movie managed to sneak in some details for the keen observers.
Did you notice what Tim Allen was drinking? It might have looked like Red Bull, but it was actually Red Deer, a clever wordplay to go with the tone of the movie.
Klaus
Movie producers love references as you could probably see by now. In the 2019 animated movie Klaus you can read A113 on Santa’s sled. For most of us that rings no bells, but the true animation movie fans can notice the reference to the classroom where many Pixar animators learned animation, even though Klaus isn’t made by Pixar. Another clever thing is that postman is trying to reach the number 6000.
And when he reaches 3000, exactly half of his goal you could see that it is precisely at the middle of the movie, proving the dedication of the production to details.
National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation
Did it ever occur to you to compare the movies National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation and It’s a Wonderful Life? They are both successful Christmas movies, and the first one referenced the latter. Firstly, when Russ’ grandparents arrive, you can see he was actually watching that film. Another thing is the scene where Clark tries to fix the newel post which is a clear homage to George Bailey who also had a loose newel post cap
Another funny “coincidence” is the one where Eddie is talking and you can clearly see that the turtleneck under his sweater is actually a dickie and not a full sweater.
Love Actually
This one, again! We can’t help it, Love Actually is such a classic for the holidays. And there is so much symbolism and hidden details. Did you see the scene with the work Christmas party, when Harry tells his wife Karen that she’s being a saint, and he is then approached by Mia, who’s dressed as the devil? Isn’t that clever? And how about that story with Sam and his step-father?
You can see the evolution of their friendship with one wholesome detail. At the beginning of the movie, the boy calls his step-father Daniel, and towards the end, he calls him dad
Scrooged
You will love Bill Murray's fall in the comedy Scrooged if you are a fan of the unscripted moments that made the cut! Frank Cross is a selfish, cynical television executive. During the restaurant scene, Bill slipped on the water he had previously thrown on the waiter. Bill stayed in the character even on the floor! He didn't let the fall ruin the scene, so he got up, and stayed in character.
The actor playing the waiter was so confused that it looked like he's about to turn around and ask if they’re doing it again. Thankfully, he also stayed in character and carried on.
The Santa Clause 2
Tim Allen flawlessly portrayed the role of Santa Clause - so much so that he stayed in character not only during the production of the movie but also behind the scenes. Tim was so convincing in his role of Santa Clause that some of the kids on the movie set believed he was the real Santa, and Tim didn’t want to disappoint them - so he stayed in the character all the time.
It must've felt like a huge responsibility for him! Tim later said the curious elves have asked him lots of questions about Christmas and looked at him with awe all the time.
Last Holiday
This 2006 movie was the one to make you laugh and cry at the same time! Queen Latifah played a great role of a woman in a false belief that she is dying. And there is one similarity between this movie and Casino Royale, they both have scenes shot in the same luxurious hotel. The hotel is located in Karlovy Vary, a famous Czech Republic city, which is very beautiful.
The city hosts the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival every year, and we could see why in both movies, the hotel and the city are absolutely stunning and has a “rich” vibe.
A Charlie Brown Christmas
As we saw earlier, body language is one of the most important parts of acting! It shows us more about the characters – even if it's not a flesh and bone actor, but a cartoon character. In 1965’s A Charlie Brown Christmas, one of the characters called Linus has a monologue in which he teaches us a lesson in the importance that body language has in the development of a character.
During his speech he says the lines “fear not,” and then he drops his signature security blanket, cleverly showing with his body language how he became fear-free! Quite meaningful, isn’t it?
Four Christmases
Who doesn’t love a good cameo? A good example would be when in the modern Disney princess movie Enchanted Jodi Benson, the voice actress of Ariel, portrays a receptionist at Robert’s firm. In this 2008 Christmas comedy, the director brought actor Peter Billingsley, from the previously mentioned Christmas classic A Christmas Story from 1983, for a cameo that fans went crazy for. This gave a special vibe to an already great movie.
The tale of four divorced parents manages to make us laugh and yet bring that Christmas spirit we all love in the holiday season. And that cameo makes it even better.
Die Hard
We know this one isn’t the first movie that comes to your mind when you think of Christmas, but a lot of us will be rewatching this classic around the holidays, and even the director marked it as a Christmas movie! And if you have rewatched this movie enough times, you might have noticed that in one of the scenes, there is a protective rubber covering made to look like bare feet.
And also, there is an interesting case of foreshadowing in the film. You can see it when John says that he is sure that he will see Holly’s watch later.
Arthur Christmas
And once again, we mention the referencing on this list. Productions seem to love that stuff. Disney and Pixar are the champions when it comes to doing this, but they are not the only ones. You can also see it in Aardman Animations 2011 Christmas movie Arthur Christmas. There is a scene where Steve enters Gwen’s house and you can notice something really interesting just laying there on the floor.
It is Shaun the Sheep, a familiar Aardman Animations character and he is there standing like a toy, more precisely a squeaky doll. That is just so cute, isn’t it?
A Year Without a Santa Claus
Could you imagine anything worse than a year with no Christmas? This 1974 animation based on the book of the same name published by Phyllis McGinley in 1956 might be a bit older than most of the movies on this list, but it doesn’t miss interesting hidden details. Among other characters, standing just like it’s his place and time is Charlie Chaplin’s most famous character, none other than The Tramp.
This is one of the most famous characters not just from Chaplin himself, but generally in the movie industry, and is referenced in a great number of movies even today.
Miracle on 34th Street
This one is even older than the previously mentioned movie, it takes place in New York City, between Thanksgiving and Christmas, and it was released in 1947! The thing that is very special about this movie is how authentic it is. The parade scenes are shot during the 1946 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. This makes the actor’s job all that harder because they can not shoot scenes more than once.
As if that was not enough, Maureen O’Hara wrote in her memoir that day was “bitterly cold,” and she envied the actors who got to watch the parade from a window.