As an avid fan of all things Christmas, I find Die Hard on the very bottom of the list of movies to watch before the holiday season ends. Unlike others (including my own mother), I’d have to agree that Die Hard falls very short of being considered a Christmas movie.

Christmas, the Christian holiday marking the birth of Christ, is celebrated in many movies and music.  While sometimes the true meaning of Christmas is lost in those platforms, most forms of music and movies at least emphasize the giving aspect of the holiday if they do not showcase the religious aspect of the season.

Even humorous movies, such as National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, incorporate the importance of gratitude and family during Christmas. A favorite of mine, It’s a Wonderful Life, perfectly showcases the meaning of the holidays and power of prayer in a touching film. There is just no way the message of “everytime a bell rings, an angel gets his wings” compares to “Yippie-Ki-Yay” (with gunfire sounds in the background).

That characters in Die Hard are held hostage during a company holiday party does not qualify it as a Christmas movie. As viewers, we would not have noticed if there was lack of snow, a Christmas tree, or a holiday party to appreciate the plot of the movie. If the Christmas aspect of Die Hard is so easily erasable, it is safe to say that the movie should not be classified as a Christmas movie.