History Main / HowTheCharacterStoleChristmas

* In an episode of ''WesternAnimation/ThePJs'' 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.

* The fanfic ''FanFic/HowAkumaKickedChristmasAss''
* Parsee from the ''VideoGame/{{Touhou}}'' [[http://walfas.org/flash/parsee_christmas.swf Steals]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1qS1kqhhebw the Precious Christmas]].

[[folder:Web Comics]]

* 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.

** "[[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 the very source of Christmas up at the North Pole during the then-incoming President's visit to Santa Claus. This leads Biden and Santa to team up and get it back when Trump tries to use it to get himself reelected.

* [[http://www.themadmusicarchive.com/song_details.aspx?SongID=411 "How the Grinch Stole Hanukkah".]]

* In an almost literal capacity, Jack Skellington in ''WesternAnimation/TheNightmareBeforeChristmas'' gets it in his skull that he and the rest of Halloween Town's citizens can take over Christmas that year. They make presents for all of the children in the human realm (all of which designed to frighten rather than bring joy), kidnap Santa Claus with Jack replacing him (putting him in danger at the hands of local criminal Oogie Boogie), and essentially hijack the season. It isn't until the National Guard ''literally'' blow Jack back to his senses (out of the sky) that he tries to set things right.

SisterTrope to YetAnotherChristmasCarol, GiftOfTheMagiPlot, ChristmasEveryDay, and ItsAWonderfulPlot.

* WebVideo/TheNostalgiaCritic review of ''[[Film/HowTheGrinchStoleChristmas The Grinch]]'' (the Jim Carrey version) is played up like a parody of the original story. He's not trying to steal Christmas, but their enjoyment of that movie.

* ''Series/TheLateShowWithStephenColbert'': In one of its multiple animated lampoonings of U.S. Politics, did this with "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OjcMTkGdjXk Twas the Coup Before Christmas]]", in which Donald Trump, angry at losing the 2020 election to Joe Biden, steals the very source of Christmas up at the North Pole during the then-incoming President's visit to Santa Claus. This leads Biden and Santa to team up and get it back when Trump tries to use it to get himself reelected.

* 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... [[RealityEnsues he has a heart attack and has to go to the hospital for an enlarged heart.]]

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

* An Al Brodax ''ComicStrip/{{Popeye}}'' cartoon has the Sea Hag kidnapping Santa and throwing all the presents into a fire pit because...well, she's a bitch.

* 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 behind Christmas; therefore, if he controls both holidays, he will have supreme power over holidays in general.

* On WesternAnimation/TeenTitansGo, a [[BadSanta villainous Santa]] steals ''Halloween,'' and the [[JustifiedTrope the justification]] is rather clever: Santa understands that Halloween is obviously the second most beloved holiday just as Christmas is the most; therefore, if he controls both holidays, he will have supreme power over holidays in general.

[[caption-width-right:350:You're a mean one, [[ComicBook/TheJoker Mr. Joker]]!]]

* ''Series/JustShootMe'' had "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=__lvMe9Cbo8 How the Finch Stole Christmas]]"

* In ''Toys/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.

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

* ''Series/MalcolmInTheMiddle'' had one where Lois took away Christmas until the boys behaved themselves, which they did, until they decided to sneak behind her back to open the presents. Though Lois herself [[HeelRealization regretted stealing Christmas five minutes into it]], as part of [[{{Anvilicious}} the episode's moral]] that only the most black-hearted person would try to steal Christmas, a holiday the show defines as "unconditional generosity".

-->'''Lisa''': I miss Christmas.

* 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!"
* A episode of ''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, in spite of 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; it wasn't a ChristmasEpisode or anything) that the EvilPlan behind Dr. Drakken's mischief-of-the-week was to "steal Christmas." Kim argued, and was correct in this, that the plan was Drakken's usual pursuit of that more sensible plot, [[TakeOverTheWorld taking over the world]].

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* Spoofed and subverted in "[[Roleplay/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.]]

[[folder: Western Animation]]

** In "Future Drama", Mr. Burns somehow robs the world of ever celebrating Christmas again. As punishment, he created a scholarship that Lisa wins to get into Yale.

* On ''WesternAnimation/TeenTitansGo, a [[BadSanta villainous Santa]] steals ''Halloween,'' and the [[JustifiedTrope the justification]] is rather clever: Santa understands that Halloween is obviously the second most beloved holiday just as Christmas is the most; therefore, if he controls both holidays, he will have supreme power over holidays in general.