The debate over whether Die Hard is a Christmas movie continues. I win.

We here at Chez Wolves say "yes." We watch "Die Hard" every Christmas season, just as we watch "Miracle on 34th Street," "It's a Wonderful Life" and "A Christmas Story." Matt Lewis at The Daily Caller, Sonny Bunch at the Washington Free Beacon and Allahpundit at Hot Air all argue that I am full of it. I think they are.

Lewis at The Daily Caller argues that a Christmas movie requires two elements: Christmas must be an integral part of the story, and it should have been released leading up to Christmas to draw the Christmas movie audience. It's a short piece, so rather than excerpt almost the whole thing, I urge you to just go there and read it, but his main point is this:

[S]ome films use the trappings of Christmas merely as a backdrop or a prop. Die Hard is a terrific film, and it certainly benefits from the music and imagery of the holiday season. But (like Lethal Weapon) this film would have worked without that conceit. John McClane could have just as easily have headed out to Los Angeles for Thanksgiving — or spring break. To be sure, Christmas creates a nice ambiance, but isn’t a vital part of this story.

Bunch at the Free Beacon echoes this argument:

Yes, Die Hard is set during Christmas (at an office holiday party, no less). Yes, there are some accoutrements of Christmas, Santa Claus outfits and the like, that pop up during the film. Yes, at some point someone says “ho ho ho.” But that doesn’t mean that it fits into the genre of “Christmas Movie.” A Christmas Movie is a movie that is specifically about Christmas: A Miracle on 34th Street, It’s a Wonderful Life, National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, etc. These are all Christmas Movies. They are movies that are not only set during Christmas but also are actively about Christmas.

Lewis' second argument is that the movie should be released as a Christmas movie and during the Christmas season, as was the case for "It's a Wonderful Life," released December 25, 1946; "A Christmas Story," released November 18, 1983, and, as Lewis points out, even "Love, Actually," released November 6, 2003. "Die Hard," of course, was a summer blockbuster, released July 14, 1988. This argument is less than convincing, as "Miracle on 34th Street," easily the most Christmas-themed movie in the bunch, wasn't released until January 1, 1947.

Ace, God love him, agrees with me. As he points out, "It's a Wonderful" Life" could have taken place any time of year. Christmas is coincidental. And most of the events in "A Christmas Story" are not Christmas-themed but instead are growing-up-in-the-1950s-with-an-eccentric-father themed, although Christmas is the unifying thing the movie keeps coming back to, at least in the sense that the kid, throughout the movie, wants a Red Rider BB gun for Christmas. Spirit of Christmas, not so much.

It's a Wonderful Life is Christmas-themed, but the story, obviously, has little to do with Christmas tradition. The Christmas setting is incidental-- George Bailey obviously could have chosen to commit suicide after January 1st. In fact, we all know now that that's when he would have been more likely to do so.
Christmas does not enter into the story at all, except in terms of background props and imagery. In fact, Christmas imagery is used to create an ironic contrast with Bailey's suicidally-depressive inner state and outward rage. (And yeah, he rages, drunk and ugly.)
These movies are chiefly not "Christmas stories," but other sorts of genre movies which are simply set during Christmas for thematic reasons.
Which is what Die Hard is. What's Die Hard about? Well, it's about a man who travels during the Christmas season to reunite with his family. That is very Christmassy. The dramatic arc is about being a better person for one's family, and the movie ends with a marital reconciliation.

Ace has the better of the argument in my biased opinion. First of all, I agree with Ace, so of course he's right. But as he points out:

I'm afraid people playing the Traditionalist Card here have exposed themselves to trump by another Traditionalist Card: a real Christmas movie is about the birth of Jesus, yes? That is, after all, the Reason for the Season.

"A Charlie Brown Christmas" becomes one of the few genuine Christmas movies under the standard the anti-Die Hard folks are trying to apply. "Miracle," after all, doesn't mention Jesus once. It's about belief is Santa Claus and shopping at Macy's. No wonder Mr. Macy did a significant cameo. As did his department-store rival, Mr. Gimbel. Contrast that with "Die Hard," Ace says:

What's Die Hard about? Well, it's about a man who travels during the Christmas season to reunite with his family. That is very Christmassy. The dramatic arc is about being a better person for one's family, and the movie ends with a marital reconciliation.

. . . 

The main story in Die Hard, sure, is about opposing a Greedy Thief who's executing a complicated hostile takeover and making the hero's life hell. But then, that's also the story of It's a Wonderful Life. 

So take it all for what it's worth. And watch "Die Hard" on Christmas Eve. Probably after "Miracle on 34th Street" and "It's a Wonderful Life," but before "Die Hard 2: Die Harder" and "Lethal Weapon." Don't even get me started on those.