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What Holiday Specials & Movies Air on NBC Christmas Eve 2024?
Get your eggnog and a spot on the couch ready! Christmas Eve programming on NBC is here!
December 24 has arrived, meaning millions of families across the country will participate in a timeless holiday tradition: getting cozy on the couch and watching Christmas movies. Thankfully, NBC has a great lineup for the evening.
So put on your best pajamas, pour a glass of eggnog or hot cocoa, and grab the best seat in your house: Here's everything you should know about NBC's Christmas Eve 2024 programming lineup.
Holiday specials and movies airing Christmas Eve 2024 on NBC
8 p.m. ET: It's a Wonderful Life (1946)
At 8 p.m. ET on December 24, NBC will once again present the Frank Capra classic It's a Wonderful Life in a continuation of one of the most beloved viewing traditions in television history.
The classic Christmas film stars Jimmy Stewart and tells the story of an angel sent from heaven to help a desperately frustrated businessman by showing him what life would have been like if he had never existed. Loosely based on Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol, the story is powerful and uplifting — no matter how many times you've seen it!
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Released in 1946, the movie has become synonymous with the holidays. It garnered rave reviews immediately upon its release. In fact, TIME gave it a particularly glowing endorsement.
"It's a Wonderful Life is a pretty wonderful movie," the outlet wrote. "Director Capra's inventiveness, humor, and affection for human beings keep it glowing with life and excitement."
11:30 p.m. ET: Christmas Eve church services
Courtesy of NBC News, NBC will air a special midnight mass broadcast from St. Peter's Basilica in Rome. You can watch the church services — led by Pope Francis — on Tuesday, December 24, starting at 11:30 p.m. ET until 1 a.m. ET.
Although the service will be spoken in Italian, there will also be an English translation voiceover for viewers watching on NBC. Throughout the mass, you'll hear music by the world-renowned Sistine Chapel Choir — so be prepared to be blown away by some of the most angelic sounds you've ever heard on Christmas Eve.
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Eagle-eyed viewers will also catch glimpses of the Vatican's Christmas tree that is displayed annually in front of St. Peter's Basilica. It shares many similarities with Rockefeller Center's iconic tree and has been a tradition since 1982.
So, there you have it. All that's left to do is tune in to NBC tonight and make yourself a plate of homemade Christmas cookies, and you've got the perfect Christmas Eve.
