History Main / DidIMentionItsChristmas

* The ''Literature/{{Goosebumps}}'' novel ''The Curse of the Mummy's Tomb'' is set around Christmas, but the holiday has absolutely bearing on the plot whatsoever, only being used to explain why the American protagonist is in Egypt (he and his parents decided to spend Christmas vacation there).

* ''WesternAnimation/{{Madeline}}'': BlinkAndYoullMissIt, but at the beginning of ''Madeline and the Bad Hat'', the old house's entry hall is decorated for Christmas. Since ''Madeline's Christmas'' was the previous special in the series, it's a subtle CallBack that creates a sense of continuity between the two.

* The ''Literature/{{Goosebumps}}'' novel ''The Curse of the Mummy's Tomb'' is set around Christmas, but the holiday has absolutely bearing on the plot, only being used to explain why the American protagonist is in Egypt (he and his parents decided to spend Christmas vacation there).

* In ''Film/StarTrekGenerations'', the first place Captain Picard enters into in the Nexus is his family house celebrating Christmas with his family, until he realizes with Guinan's presence in the room that he is in is in the Nexus, and she helps him find Captain Kirk, who is also in the Nexus in whatever fantasy life he's living.

* In ''Film/StarTrekGenerations'', the first place Captain Picard enters into in the Nexus is his family house celebrating Christmas with his family, until he realizes with Guinan's presence in the room that he is in the Nexus, and she helps him find Captain Kirk, who is also in the Nexus in whatever fantasy life he's living.

* ''Film/{{Gremlins}}'' is mostly set on Christmas Eve, as Mowgli is a Christmas present, but the film is mostly about killing monsters.

* In ''Literature/LesMiserables'', Jean Valjean first meets his adopted daughter-to-be, little Cosette, on Christmas Eve. This has no bearing on the plot beyond giving him an excuse to give the little girl her first gift, a beautiful doll she's been pining for, as well as symbolic significance of new beginnings and hope (a la the birth of Christ) for them both. The Christmas setting of this sequence is omitted in [[Theatre/LesMiserables the stage version of the popular musical adaptation[[, but restored in [[Film/LesMiserables2012 the film version.]]

* In ''Literature/LesMiserables'', Jean Valjean first meets his adopted daughter-to-be, little Cosette, on Christmas Eve. This has no bearing on the plot beyond giving him an excuse to give the little girl her first gift, a beautiful doll she's been pining for, as well as symbolic significance of new beginnings and hope (a la the birth of Christ) for them both. The Christmas setting of this sequence is omitted in the stage version of the popular musical adaptation, but restored in the film version.

* ''WesternAnimation/DuckTales2017'' has an episode where Louie complains about the fact the group is spending Christmas on an expedition to climb Mount Neverrest instead of at Scrooge's mansion waiting for Santa. Scrooge tells him that Santa won't visit the mansion anyway thanks to a NoodleIncident that Scrooge was involved in. Aside from this exchange, the holiday isn't mentioned or seen at all.

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* In ''Anime/MobileSuitGundam'' the Battle of Solomon, featuring the iconic Mobile Armor Big Zam, takes place on Christmas Eve, though you could be forgiven for not noticing this.

** #119, despite being titled "The Night Before Christmas," only takes place on the day at the very end, and most of it is focused on the team stopping a terrorist in Japan.

* Creator/StevenSpielberg's ''[[Film/NineteenFortyOne 1941]]'' is a pretty good example of this. While its December setting makes sense, considering it takes place a few days after the events of Pearl Harbor, outside of some lines said by various characters about the holidays, and references to characters Hollis Woods occupation as a Christmas Tree salesman, all references to the holiday are kept minimal at best. Granted you see a few Santa Clauses in the extended edition of the movie, but that's about it.

* ''Film/Shazam2019'' is set around Christmas, both in the prologue and the story proper. There are decorations up, a mall Santa makes several appearances, and the climax takes place at a winter carnival, but that's about it. The theme of the movie is more about family, which tangentially ties into 'goodwill toward all,' but it wouldn't really lose anything by moving the story to a different season. Billy and Silvana's keepsakes (a compass and Magic 8 Ball, respectively) aren't Christmas gifts, and Darla, the youngest foster child, doesn't even mention Santa or presents once [[spoiler: until her OlderAlterEgo meets the mall Santa, that is]].

* ''Series/ColdCase'': In "Sabotage", getting scammed after buying a defective shower radio is the straw that breaks the camel's back for the episode's villain and sends him in his RoaringRampageOfRevenge. It's also during Christmas, but that has no bearing on the plot.
** "Saving Patrick Bubley features a couple of Thanksgiving dinners, but it likewise has no bearing on that episode's plot.

* There are a couple of successive episodes of ''Series/TheConners'' where Christmas decorations can be seen in the Mexican restaurant and the Conner family's living room, but are unremarked upon.

* The fourth case of ''VisualNovel/PhoenixWrightAceAttorney'' begins on Christmas Day. The characters themselves don't make much notice of this until partially into the case, where it finally hits them that everything that's happening is happening on Christmas.

* The fact that the final boss fight of ''VideoGame/Persona5'' takes place on Christmas Eve isn't acknowledged until after the threat is destroyed for good and snow starts falling. Christmas isn't exactly on the Phantom Thieves' minds when they have to contend with [[spoiler:a god who intends to eradicate humanity]].

* ''Film/{{Shazam}}'' is set around Christmas, both in the prologue and the story proper. There are decorations up, a mall Santa makes several appearances, and the climax takes place at a winter carnival, but that's about it. The theme of the movie is more about family, which tangentially ties into 'goodwill toward all,' but it wouldn't really lose anything by moving the story to a different season. Billy and Silvana's keepsakes (a compass and Magic 8 Ball, respectively) aren't Christmas gifts, and Darla, the youngest foster child, doesn't even mention Santa or presents once [[spoiler: until her OlderAlterEgo meets the mall Santa, that is]].

* ''Literature/HarryPotter'': Given the fact that each book takes place over the course of one school year, the narrative always at least mentions Christmas in passing. While Christmas sets the stage for meaningful events in each of the first six books, in ''[[HarryPotterAndTheDeathlyHallows Deathly Hallows]]'', the sound of Christmas carols being sung at a distance helps Harry and Hermione mark time when they're on the run and tracking down Horcruxes.

* ''Film/{{Hook}}'' has Peter Pan's kids getting kidnapped on what may very well have been Christmas Day. Ouch.

* In ''Literature/PeterPan'', the night the Darling children fly away with Peter is just before Christmas, possibly even Christmas Eve. We only know this from one passing reference to their housekeeper Liza "mixing the Christmas puddings in the kitchen." Most adaptations (with one exception: see below under LiveActionTV) leave this detail out.

* ''Peter Pan Live'', unlike its source material, finds the Darling nursery decorated for Christmas, but the decorations aren't acknowledged. It's especially weird in this case, because, also unlike in the source material, there isn't a section of Neverland which represents the season of winter.

* Strangely used in of all places ''Literature/TheBible'' itself. Though in its case, it's the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah, which in [[Literature/TheFourGospels the gospel of John]] is mentioned as the Feast of Dedication, which Jesus and the Jews celebrate, but is eclipsed by Jesus having another discussion with the Jews about His being the Messiah.

* The first and second acts of ''Opera/LaBoheme'' take place on Christmas Eve. This has no bearing on the plot apart from adding a cold, wintery atmosphere to Act I and a festive atmosphere to the street scenes of Act II.

* The entire first act of ''La Boheme'''s contemporary musical adaptation ''Theatre/{{Rent}}'' takes place on Christmas Eve and into the early hours of Christmas morning. The second act starts a week later on New Year's Eve and plays out over the course of the year, with the finale once again on Christmas Eve. As in ''Boheme'' aside from it needing to be winter to set up Mimi and Roger's meeting (her heat went out), the holiday doesn't play into the plot very much.

[[folder:Film — Animated]]
* ''WesternAnimation/ToyStory'' ends on Christmas Day to set a BrickJoke and a HereWeGoAgain scene at the end, not dealing with usual Christmas tropes beyond a kiss under the mistletoe.
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* ''Film/FastTimesAtRidgemontHigh'' has a mention of Christmas at least once in its story, where the only highlight of it is a MallSanta dealing with a wet lap from a child peeing in his pants and that's it.

* ''Literature/HarryPotter'': Given the fact that each book takes place over the course of one school year, the narrative always at least mentions Christmas in passing.

** Archie has to admit to his family he didn't get a bonus he counted on because of a workplace screwup.
** Edith has a cancer scare.
** Archie starts an angry argument when a guest is revealed to be a draft dodger.
** The family witnesses the brutal beat-down and murder of a family friend, who was a transsexual.

* ''Series/AllInTheFamily'' and ''Series/ArchieBunkersPlace'': Where Christmastime with the Bunkers was a time when:
** Archie has to admit to his family he didn't get a bonus he counted on because of a workplace screwup.
** Edith has a cancer scare.
** Archie starts an angry argument when a guest is revealed to be a draft dodger.
** The family witnesses the brutal beat-down and murder of a family friend, who was a transsexual.
** Mike and Gloria announced they've separated.
** A recently widowed Archie faces loss of custody of his niece, Stephanie, after her grandmother deems Archie unfit.
** Archie tries to patch up the uneasy relationship between him and his brother, Fred.

* ''Film/DieHard'' and ''Film/DieHard2'' would probably be the most famous example of this trope, in that other than a few mentions of the holiday (and quite a few decorations) here and there, it's [[AnAssKickingChristmas all-out action and senseless violence]] in direct juxtaposition to what the season's all about. And, it came out in the middle of July!
-->"Now I have a machine gun. Ho ho ho."
** The second one is kind of more blatant about using this trope. That it's the Christmas travel week is almost like an afterthought while [=McClane=] is taking down Colonel Stuart.
** The holiday has some plot relevance in the first film: It's why John is visiting his estranged wife in the first place, and the Nakatomi employees are partying in a mostly empty building.

* ''Film/EyesWideShut'' takes place during Christmas, as evident by the occasional Christmas tree in the background.

* ''Film/FirstBlood'' is another film where Christmas decorations are visible in several scenes, although no mention of the holiday is ever made by the characters.
** The decorations were put up by the town they were shooting in, but the director decided to leave them in because it did a good job of [[ShowDontTell subtly reminding]] the viewer that Rambo's on the run [[ExposedToTheElements during a very cold time of year in just a wifebeater and jeans]].

* ''Film/FullMetalJacket''. "Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday dear Jesus, happy birthday to you."
* ''Film/{{Go}}'' takes place on Christmas Eve, but the holiday really doesn't figure into its story (or, rather, its [[SimultaneousArcs stories]]).
* ''Film/{{Gremlins}}'' is mostly set on Christmas Eve, but the film is mostly about killing monsters.

* ''Film/{{Psycho}}'' begins on "Friday, December the Eleventh" according to an onscreen graphic during the opening shot, and Christmas decorations can be seen in downtown Phoenix as Janet Leigh's character leaves town. However, no further allusion to the holiday is made although the film's narrative extends later into the month.
** This was a case of SerendipityWritesThePlot, since they didn't notice there were Christmas decorations in their on-location takes until after filming had concluded, and then they just mentioned it was mid-December in the opening to properly compensate.