History Main / HowTheCharacterStoleChristmas

* From 2002 to 2005, Creator/{{Nickelodeon}} ran a series of ''Advertising/{{Nickmas}}'' shorts parodying the classic 1960s Christmas specials with the Nicktoon characters every December. One segment, titled ''How the You-Know-Who Stole the You-Know-What!'', featured Angelica from ''WesternAnimation/{{Rugrats}}'', as "Grinchelica", stealing all the candy from the other Nicktoon characters.

* An odd one with ''WebAnimation/RWBYChibi''. One short has Torchwick and Neo attempt to steal the holiday spirit after Torchwick realizes that stealing the material stuff wouldn't work. Not only does this plot not work (people can get happy ''without'' the holiday season), when Torchwick's heart grows three sizes... [[SurprisinglyRealisticOutcome he has a heart attack and has to go to the hospital for an enlarged heart.]]

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* The fanfic ''Fanfic/HowAkumaKickedChristmasAss''

* How [[VisualNovel/UminekoWhenTheyCry Battler]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZB01uKJbl0I Stole Witchmas]].
* From''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'', we have [[http://www.fimfiction.net/story/236743/this-holiday-is-going-to-be-perfect This Holiday is Going to be Perfect]], whose sole chapter is known as "How Chrysalis stole Hearth's Warming Eve".
* The ChristmasEpisode of ''WebVideo/PrincessTutuAbridged'', entitled [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rKtbVMihglQ How Drosselmeyer Stole the Abridged Series]].

[[folder:Film - Animated]]

* A ''Series/HowIMetYourMother'' episode is appropriately named "How Lily Stole Christmas". Narrator Ted, relating the story to his teenaged children, [[NarrativeProfanityFilter substitutes "grinch"]] for "[[CountryMatters A Very Bad Word]]". Lily, upset over being called a c---, takes away all the Christmas decorations. At this point, Ted actually does call her a grinch.

* [[TheGrinch Sue Sylvester]], in "A Very ''Series/{{Glee}}'' Christmas".

* [[SubvertedTrope Subverted]] in [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oSDc5Lq_rTQ&ab_channel=SetItOff-Topic "This Christmas (I'll Burn It To The Ground)"]] by Set It Off. A suburban teen is fed up with his rich kid neighbors belittling him for his comparatively lackluster gifts, and decides to get revenge by pulling the Grinch routine. Subverted in that, not only is there no change of heart at the end, he doesn't stop at stealing Christmas. As the title suggests, he proceeds to pile up the stolen gifts and trees in the middle of the cul-de-sac, and ''lights them on fire'' for the entire neighborhood to see.

* ''Webcomic/PennyArcade'''s Christmas 2009 story arc is [[TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons How the Illithid stole Lolthmas]].
* ''Webcomic/TheNewAdventuresOfQueenVictoria'' is [[http://newadventuresofqueenvictoria.com/strips/big/naqv091222.gif currently]] [[http://newadventuresofqueenvictoria.com/strips/big/naqv091222.gif doing a]] parody with UsefulNotes/OsamaBinLaden.
* The now-defunct sprite comic ''Insonicnia''[='s=] special "How the Eggman Stole Christmas", with a twist: Eggman planned to steal everything while wearing a Santa suit as camouflage... and then literally steal the holiday away by re-delivering the gifts as himself to make people think he was the one who sent them in the first place and thus make himself popular.

* The ''Webcomic/AxeCop'' [[http://axecop.com/index.php/acepisodes/read/xmas2010/ Christmas Special]] uses some of the same ideas, but it's definitely not played straight; call it a parody or subversion or something. There's a whole planet of Christmas monsters (who look kind of like the Grinch) that steal all the presents from all planets because it's the only way they can have a Christmas. Axe Cop steals the presents back and delivers them again. Then, gaining the power of Christmas, he gives all the Christmas monsters presents of their own. They go back to celebrate happily... until it turns out the presents were all full of bombs and the whole planet explodes, saving Christmas forever.
* Alex himself does it in {{Guest Strip}}s in ''Webcomic/CaptainSNES''. He's mostly doing it to screw with the censor-slash-narrator who wants him to get into the holiday spirit in precisely the way it thinks is best, '''whether he likes it or not''', and he ends the series with a TakeThat at the narrator that stuns it so much that it stops censoring him.

* [[http://www.collegehumor.com/article:1811807 How Growing Up Stole Christmas]]

* ''WebVideo/TheAngryVideoGameNerd'' did this for the 2010 ChristmasEpisode, where the Nerd steals everyone's good games and replaces them with bad ones. [[spoiler:The gamers down in Gameville all laughed at the bad games.]]

* Spoofed and subverted in "[[Webcomic/AsteroidQuest The First Neumono Christmas]]". ''Literature/HowTheGrinchStoleChristmas'' is explicitly referenced, and the BigBad's plan is to use the resultant sadness of the neumono race to power his superweapon. [[spoiler:However, these being neumono, they instead react with ''anger'', foiling his plans and causing a huge mess for the police to clean up.]]
* [[http://www.bathhistoricalsociety.org How the Stephen Stole Christmas]]
* In ''WebAnimation/TheGrosseryGang'' webseries' 2017 "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=92lgHNysTWo Christmas Episode]]" features Vac Attack attempting to ruin "Grossmas" for the Grosseries by stealing their presents. Guest Grossery [=PukieHurlC=] (voiced by [=YouTube=] toy reviewer [=CookieSwirlC=]) plays the role of Cindy Lou.

* There was [[ShowWithinAShow one short TV parody]] called "How the Grinchy-Poo Stole Christmas!" from the ''WesternAnimation/SouthPark'' episode "Merry Christmas, Charlie Manson!" Also, some characters from the episodes "Cartmanland" and "Woodland Critter Christmas" parody some [[{{Pun}} "lines"]] they borrowed from ''How the Grinch Stole Christmas!"
* ''WesternAnimation/TheEmperorsNewSchool'' does this, although it is based on Halloween rather than Christmas. The episode is even called "The Yzma That Stole Kuzcoween".

* On ''WesternAnimation/TheRealGhostbusters'' episode "The Halloween Door", a [[MoralGuardians prudish old man who hates Halloween]] invents a device that will make all the paraphernalia of Halloween disappear. The consequences in the supernatural world are dire, for this allows a horde of demons to return to Earth. And true to the "stealing Halloween" plot, Halloween is restored because the "true meaning of Halloween" is the joy of children at play, and a little girl (who even looks a lot like Cindy Lou) expresses her faith and lack of fear in standing up to the demon lord. The Grinch figure, despite having seen the chaos, still [[NeverMyFault denies that it was his fault]], and continues to hate Halloween and wish to suppress it.
* Spoofed on ''WesternAnimation/KimPossible'', when Ron believed (for no apparent reason, since it wasn't a ChristmasEpisode or anything) that the EvilPlan behind Dr. Drakken's mischief-of-the-week was to "steal Christmas". Kim argued, correctly, that the plan was Drakken's usual pursuit of that more sensible plot, [[TakeOverTheWorld taking over the world]].
* Dr. Claw of ''WesternAnimation/InspectorGadget'' once tries to steal all of the toys from SantaClaus before he could deliver them on Christmas Eve.
* ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'':
** A minor example: "[[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS5E5TanksForTheMemories Tanks for the Memories]]" has Rainbow Dash trying to stop winter from coming so she can keep her pet turtle from hibernating. At one point she makes a face reminiscent of the Grinch's.
** "[[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS6E8AHearthsWarmingTail A Hearth's Warming Tail]]" is mostly YetAnotherChristmasCarol, but the start of Snowfall Frost's story is about her trying to ruin Hearth's Warming for everypony out of a belief that it's a big waste of time that they could spend bettering themselves instead. It includes the aspect of stealing some trappings of the holiday, although in this case it's to use as components for her memory-erasing spell. [[spoiler:And, as she discovers, Hearth's Warming literally keeps Equestria safe from Windigos, who would turn Equestria into a frozen wasteland if not kept away by the holiday celebrations; she promptly changes her ways when she realizes what her actions would result in for the entire country.]]
* ''WesternAnimation/ThePJs'' had "How the Super Stoled[sic] Christmas" where Thurgood becomes a repo man so he can earn enough money to buy his wife the computer she's been wanting. Right at the time many of the residents in The Projects had stopped paying bills on their new purchases so his job becomes easy.
* Non-malicious example in ''WesternAnimation/LiloAndStitchTheSeries''. While Stitch did steal all the presents in town in the episode "Topper", it wasn't to steal or ruin Christmas, it was because inside one of them is [[GottaCatchThemAll one of Jumba's experiments]], still in unactivated pod form. Because the present was intended for [[BigBad Dr. Hamsterviel]], Gantu stole Stitch's stolen presents, and the whole attic they were stored in. But it was all for naught, the present containing Experiment 025's pod was still at the gift wrapper's.
* ''WesternAnimation/ThePowerpuffGirls2016'' episode "You're A Good Man, Mojo Jojo" is YetAnotherChristmasCarol with some ''Literature/HowTheGrinchStoleChristmas'' mixed in. Mojo Jojo steals presents in his sled on Generic Tree Lighting Day in his sled but changes his tune after having a dream featuring three ghosts. When he wakes up, he tries to give all the presents back and be nice, only for the townsfolk to complain that he didn't set fire to the town's tree.
* On ''WesternAnimation/TeenTitansGo'', a [[BadSanta villainous Santa]] steals ''Halloween,'' and his rationale is rather clever: Santa understands that Halloween is obviously the second most beloved holiday behind Christmas; therefore, if he controls both holidays, he will have supreme power over holidays in general.
* In the Season 23 finale of ''WesternAnimation/SouthPark'', Santa Claus gets in on the act, by stealing all the legalized cocaine in South Park in an attempt to stop impaired driving in the town, after passing ordinances that banned the sale of alcohol and marijuana until January 2 failed to do the job.
* In the ''WesternAnimation/FamilyGuy'' episode "The First No L", Lois gets fed up with her family not helping her make Christmas a success, so she leaves them alone in order to teach them a lesson. But when she sees that they are managing just fine without her, she changes her objective to stop Christmas out of jealousy by stealing their decorations, presents, and Christmas tree. Stewie even walks in on Lois while dressed as Cindy Lou Who.
* An Al Brodax ''ComicStrip/{{Popeye}}'' cartoon has the Sea Hag kidnapping Santa and throwing all the presents into a fire pit for the obvious reason that if she can't have a happy holiday then no one can.

* ''WesternAnimation/DuckTales2017'': The episode title of the season 3 ChristmasEpisode "How Santa Stole Christmas!" is a play on the Grinch-title. However, in the episode itself it is ''Scrooge'' who almost ruins Christmas because instead of delivering presents to the children as [[SubbingForSanta he is asked to by Santa]] he gifts everyone a piece of coal. [[spoiler:It turns out he feels wronged by Santa and wants to teach the children a lesson that resources like coal are more practical and important than toys. Of course, in Grinch-like manner it is Scrooge who learns his lesson that a warmed heart helps you through the coldness. He and his family help Santa to undo his mistake and give every child his present.]]

-->-- '''Bowser Koopa''', the ''WesternAnimation/SuperMarioWorld'' ChristmasEpisode

* A less direct example is [[Franchise/SuperMarioBros Bowser]] in the ''WesternAnimation/SuperMarioWorld'' Christmas episode.

[[/folder]]

* ''WesternAnimation/DuckTales2017'': The episode title of the season 3 ChristmasEpisode "How Santa Stole Christmas!" is a play on the Grinch-title. However, in ghe episode himself it is ''Scrooge'' who almost ruins Christmas by instead of delivering presents to the children as [[SubbingForSanta he is asked to by Santa]] he gifts everyone a piece of coal. [[spoiler:It turns out he feels wronged by Santa and wants to teach the children a lesson that ressources like coal are more practical and important than toys. Of course, in Grinch-like manner it is Scrooge who learns his lesson that a warmed heart helps you through the coldness. He and his family help Santa to undo his mistake and give every child his present.]]

* ''Series/JustShootMe'' "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=__lvMe9Cbo8 Finch, of course,]] (complete with a whole song plus [[LargeHam ham-filled]] narration by Creator/KelseyGrammer) because he feels left out.
* A ''Series/HowIMetYourMother'' episode appropriately named "How Lily Stole Christmas". Narrator Ted, relating the story to his teenaged children, [[NarrativeProfanityFilter substitutes "grinch"]] for "[[CountryMatters A Very Bad Word]]". Lily, upset over being called a c---, takes away all the Christmas decorations. At this point, Ted actually does call her a grinch.

* Back when Newt Gingrich was Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, the Creator/TheCapitolSteps did "How the Ging-Grinch Stole Congress."

* The fan film [[http://www.theforce.net/fanfilms/shortfilms/howsithstole/index.asp How the Sith stole Christmas]].

* In a more symbolic example than a literal one, the titular lead of ''Series/Hawkeye2021'' is missing out on his family's Christmas because of [[spoiler: Wilson Fisk, alias the Kingpin]] and his criminal activities. For bonus points, "You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch" actually plays over the credits when it reveals [[spoiler: Kingpin's]] involvement.

* A ''Series/HowIMetYourMother'' episode entitled "How Lily Stole Christmas." Narrator Ted, relating the story to his teenaged children, [[NarrativeProfanityFilter substitutes "grinch"]] for "[[CountryMatters A Very Bad Word]]." Lily, upset over being called a c---, takes away all the Christmas decorations. At this point, Ted actually does call her a grinch.

** The first of these was "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ggC1e4jb6EU A Very Special Counsel Christmas]]", where Trump fires Santa and replaces him with one of his supporters to force Santa's elves to build the border wall. Santa goes into a HeroicBSOD and literally gets DrunkOnMilk, until Special Counsel Robert Muller (one of Santa's buddies from Vietnam apparently) manages to snap him out of it, gets him to fly to the border wall, and delivers the infamously claimed "pee tape" to the public watching the spectacle, leading to Trump and the false Santa's arrest...[[spoiler: until [[AllJustADream Muller wakes up and realizes he was dreaming the whole thing.]] Until he looks on his desk [[OrWasItADream and gets a typewriter from Santa]], complete with the same picture of the two in Vietnam.]]

** "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OjcMTkGdjXk Twas the Coup Before Christmas]]", the last of the skits released, dealt with Trump, angry at losing the 2020 election to Joe Biden, steals Santa's sack of gifts up at the North Pole during the then-incoming President's visit to Santa Claus, in order to "find" the votes necessary to get him reelected. This leads Biden and Santa to team up and stop Trump and his allies before they succeed. [[spoiler: They fail, but only because Trump and his allies are frozen solid Ala ''Film/RaidersOfTheLostArk'', since they sought the sack for their own ends rather than for others.]]

* WKQX-Q101 has "The Night We Stole Christmas," a live concert every December.

* The now-defunct sprite comic ''Insonicnia'''s special "How The Eggman Stole Christmas", with a twist: Eggman planned to steal everything while wearing a Santa suit as camouflage... and then literally steal the holiday away by re-delivering the gifts as himself to make people think he was the one who sent them in the first place and thus make himself popular.

* [[http://unbound.co.uk/books/how-to-have-an-almost-perfect-marriage/updates/92 How The Frynch Stole Twitmas]], by [[Creator/StephenFry Mrs Edna Fry]].

* On ''WesternAnimation/TheRealGhostbusters'' episode "The Halloween Door," a [[MoralGuardians prudish old man who hates Halloween]] invents a device that will make all the paraphernalia of Halloween disappear. The consequences in the supernatural world are dire, for this allows a horde of demons to return to Earth. And true to the "stealing Halloween" plot, Halloween is restored because the "true meaning of Halloween" is the joy of children at play, and a little girl (who even looks a lot like Cindy Lou) expresses her faith and lack of fear in standing up to the demon lord. The Grinch figure, despite having seen the chaos, still [[NeverMyFault denies that it was his fault]], and continues to hate Halloween and wish to suppress it.
* Spoofed on ''WesternAnimation/KimPossible'', when Ron believed (for no apparent reason, since it wasn't a ChristmasEpisode or anything) that the EvilPlan behind Dr. Drakken's mischief-of-the-week was to "steal Christmas." Kim argued, correctly, that the plan was Drakken's usual pursuit of that more sensible plot, [[TakeOverTheWorld taking over the world]].

* In the ''WesternAnimation/FamilyGuy'' episode "The First No L", Lois gets fed up with her family not helping her make Christmas a success, so she leaves them alone in order to teach them a lesson. But when she sees that they are managing just fine without her, she changes her objective to stop Christmas out of jealousy by stealing their decoration, presents, and Christmas tree. Stewie even walks in on Lois while dressed as Cindy Lou Who.

* ''WesternAnimation/XiaolinChronicles'': In one episode appropriately named "How Jack Spicer Stole Christmas'', Jack uses a Shen Gong Wu to remove December 25 from the calendar as a revenge for his parents not having bought him presents.