National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation made its debut in December 1989 before becoming a cult classic. Originally based on a short story in National Lampoon magazine, Christmas Vacation served as an installment of the Vacation film series, featuring Chevy Chase and Beverly D’Angelo as their regular roles, Clark and Ellen Griswold.
Christmas Vacation follows the Griswold family as they spend the Christmas holiday at home in Chicago, Illinois. If the in-laws weren’t enough to handle, crazy cousin Eddie (Randy Quaid) and his family surprise the Griswolds with their arrival — just in time for the seasonal celebration. As always, Clark finds himself getting caught up in various shenanigans as he tries to make the best out of the hectic holiday. In the end, Clark, Ellen, and their kids, Audrey (Juliette Lewis) and Rusty (Johnny Galecki), find a way to enjoy the unorthodox day in typical Griswold fashion.
The 1989 comedy marked the third installment in the Vacation series, which currently consists of five movies. Based on the seasonal airings each holiday season, Christmas Vacation has only grown in popularity as a new generation got in on the fun. While a TV sequel titled National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation 2 was developed, it didn’t match the level of quality of the original, leaving most fans clamoring for the original every December.
What Streaming Service Is Christmas Vacation Available On?
While it has been difficult to find in the past, National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation is now widely available on HBO Max. Currently, those with an AMC+ subscription can also stream the holiday classic, but it is expected to leave the service on December 26th until next year.
While those are the most common ways to watch Christmas Vacation, it is also available on fuboTV, where viewers can get a free trial before entering into a subscription service for $69.99 per month. HBO Max is available as a channel add-on with a Prime Video subscription, and the platform is offering a free trial for 7 days.
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Where To Rent Or Buy Christmas Vacation?
For those who are willing to pay for their annual Christmas viewing, there are several more options. The film can be rented or purchased on Apple TV, Amazon, Vudu, Microsoft, or Redbox. On each of these services, Christmas Vacation can be rented for $3.99 or bought for $9.99. However, Vudu, Microsoft, and Redbox all have the film on sale at the moment, which means that those who wait too long will have to expect higher purchase prices in the range of $14.99-$16.99.
Generally speaking, rentals are available for 30 days, although they may need to be completed within 48 hours of being started. Those who only want to watch the movie once would be best off renting it, but if it is a holiday tradition, buying a copy will pay off in less than three years. Either way, there are plenty of options for viewers to catch Christmas Vacation before the holiday season comes to an end.
What About The Other National Lampoon Vacation Films?
While Christmas Vacation tends to be the most popular installment in the Vacation saga, it can be fun to marathon them all. At present, National Lampoon’s Vacation, National Lampoon’s European Vacation, and Vegas Vacation are on Netflix, while Vacation is on HBO Max. The oft-forgotten Christmas Vacation 2: Cousin Eddie’s Island Adventure is available on fuboTV, hoopla, and Showtime.
