For many fans of the 1983 film, it just wouldn’t be Christmas without watching it A Christmas Story.

Directed by Bob Clark and based on the 1966 book In God We Trust: Everyone else pays in cash by Jean Shepherd, A Christmas Story follows 9-year-old Ralphie Parker (Peter Billingsley) in 1939 Indiana as he tries to secure his dream Christmas present, a double-action Red Ryder Carbine air rifle.

The film also stars Darren McGavin and Melinda Dillon as Ralphie’s parents and Ian Petrella as his little brother Randy. In addition to Ralphie’s quest, the film also follows the shenanigans of family and friends as they try to celebrate the holidays – from awkward encounters with Santa Claus and a ruined turkey to the infamous “triple dog dare” that left a little boy’s tongue frozen. to the school flagpole.

A Christmas Story has long been considered a holiday staple. TNT has hosted their annual 24-hour Christmas Eve movie marathon since 1997. In November, it became the most popular Christmas movie in the United States, according to Today’s Homeowner.

Certified Fresh is a treasured classic with an 89 percent approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes and topped IGN’s 2011 list of favorite Christmas movies. The following year, it was selected for preservation in the United States Library of Congress National Film Registry for being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant”.

24 hours a year A Christmas Story marathon runs from 8:00 PM ET/PT on Christmas Day to 8:00 PM ET/PT on Christmas Day on TNT. TBS is also airing a 24-hour marathon of the film beginning at 9:00 PM ET/PT on Tuesday, December 24th.

Fans can also stream A Christmas Story on Max and Hulu with Live TV. It is available to rent on Prime Video, Apple TV, YouTube TV and Google Play for $3.99.

For more holiday cheer, A Christmas Story fans can also stream the third installment of the franchise, A Christmas Story Christmasto Max. It was released on the streamer in 2022 and most of the original cast returned.