This is such an exhausting topic. Anyone saying it isn't a Christmas movie either hasn't seen it recently enough to remember it or they're being contraian. It takes place during Christmas, a Christmas party even. It has Christmas music woven into the soundtrack. The b plot is the main character fixing his marriage (a common theme of Christmas movies is fixing families).

To be honest, I sort of would view people arguing that it isn't a Christmas movie like people arguing Red One isn't a Christmas movie because it is primarily an action movie. Red One is more obvious due to the marketing and the fact it's literally about saving Santa after he is kidnapped, but it's still very moreso an action movie than other similar titles (The Santa Clause also has a kidnapped Santa subplot and a team of elite elves rescue him, but it is much more minor).

I thought this was a closed deal? Of course it is a Christmas movie.

In as much as home alone and Batman is a Christmas movie.

I don't wanna be the party pooper here, but Die Hard is a specifically American Christmas Movie. I'm not saying that other people can't or shouldn't enjoy it as a Christmas Movie if so inclined.

But as a German what we "traditionally" watch as Christmas Movies/Shows is something completely different (though also varying greatly from region to region and family to family. I for one still enjoy "Weihnachten bei den Hoppenstedts" a lot my father mostly insists on seeing "Familie Heinz Becker feiert Weihnachten". A movie a lot of people consider to be a Christmas Movie as far as I can tell is "Drei Haselnüsse für Aschenbrödel".

Again I'm not saying that people can't consider "American" Christmas Movies as their own or make them their traditions a friend of mine insists that "In Bruges" is the ultimate Christmas Movie. I just think saying "We all agree" is making it to simple

Edit: Read some more comments and maybe I misunderstood the premise. I'm not saying "Die Hard is not a Christmas Movie" what I'm trying to say is "Christmas Movies are what people make their Christmas Movie regardless of if they are Christmas-y" if I started watching Shrek at every Christmas it would be my Christmas Movie. But I feel what OP wanted to say was "There are Movies that are considered Christmas Movies because of the content and Die Hard should be considered one of them".

My dad was arguing that it wasn't because being set at Christmas isn't enough, and said a bunch of things typical of a Christmas movie to have; while I countered with a list of things that happen in Die Hard that met his criteria.

"Someone needs to receive a gift."

"McClane was gifted a machine gun."

"There needs to be a miracle."

"It's a miracle John survived."

"It needs to capture the feeling of Christmas."

"Have you never spent time with your relatives at Christmas? It feels just like being held hostage at Nakatomi Plaza."

Do we really have to do this every year?

There is definitely a demand for such movies on Christmas, otherwise a movie like Fatman wouldn't have been produced. It's a Christmas movie with Die Hard elements.

Diehard is 100% a Christmas movie, however, Die Hard 2 which also takes place at Christmas time, is NOT a Christmas movie, as the fact that it's Christmas is coincidental and not at all integral to the plot.

In the same way that tomatoes are fruit and bananas are berries.

Die Hard is not a Christmas movie!

Die Hard is a Christmas Eve movie.

/s

Why is it always Die Hard? 29 Alternative Christmas Movies That Aren't Die Hard

Yes - but more importantly, I am so happy reading the rest of the comments here: I've truly found my people.

Duh. It's the best Christmas movie too.

There are 2 kinds of people, those who say die hard is a Christmas movie, and those who are wrong.

Hell yeah!

Technically it is set during Christmas, but it's not about Christmas. But a movie tons of people like to watch at Christmastime is a Christmas movie.

Well, yeah. What else would it be?

I think its important to establish why it's a Christmas movie. I consider it one not just because it's Christmas time in the movie but because it's heavily Christmas themed the entire movie. For this exact same reason I think other movies also fall into this category like gremlins and terrifier 3.

Bruce thinks it’s a Bruce Willis movie.

… he gets a pass.

Even Plex agrees:

I mean if a movie like It's A Wonderful Life can be a Christmas movie, despite most of it not having anything to do with Christmas, then so can Die Hard.