America’s Favorite Holiday Films: What’s #1 in Wisconsin?

By Christina Lorey

November 14, 2022

Every family has their favorite, and as it turns out, most states do, too!

We used Preply.com to find out how many times 115 of the highest-rated, highest-grossing holiday movies of all time were searched in each state last winter.

Here’s what we learned:

Overall, America loves Home Alone, The Grinch (2018), and Elf.
Other top picks include Frosty the Snowman and A Christmas Story, as well as darker movies like Krampus and Edward Scissorhands. Newer films like Happiest Season (2020) and Klaus (2019) also made the list.

Elf and The Polar Express were the most popular movies in the most states.
Elf was 10 states’ #1 pick (including Wisconsin’s), while The Polar Express was the top choice in nine.

Several states have multiple favorite movies.
Michigan is torn between Elf, Last Christmas, and The Christmas Chronicles, while West Virginia is split between Elf, A Christmas Story, and National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation.

Favorites differ by region.
The south loves The Polar Express (#1 in seven states), while the west enjoys The Nightmare Before Christmas, and the northeast likes Home Alone (#1 in three states each). In the midwest, Elf reigns supreme, as the #1 movie in five states.

Home Alone is the most popular holiday film for English-speaking countries outside of the US.
The 1990 comedy is #1 in India, Pakistan, Nigeria, Philippines, Canada, and Australia. Love Actually was the second most popular, as the favorite in the UK (no surprise), Italy, and France.

Check out the full results below or click here for more.

Author

Christina Lorey

Christina is an Edward R. Murrow-winning journalist and former producer, reporter, and anchor for TV stations in Madison and Moline. When she’s not writing or asking questions, you can find her volunteering with Girls on the Run, the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network, and various mental health organizations.

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