Throwback Thursday: Christmas Vacation

Happy December! 

On this day in history, December 1, 1989, National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation premiered in theaters. 

Christmas Vacation was never on my list of "must-see" Christmas titles growing up, and in fact I believe I only saw it for the first time just a few years ago. It'll never be a classic quite as beloved as It's a Wonderful Life or A Christmas Story (or my favorite, Home Alone), but its usually on any top 10 holiday movie list worth its salt. Plus, it was written by John Hughes, also wrote Home Alone. 

The story of ne'er-do-well Clark Griswold (Chevy Chase) and his battle to have the biggest and best lighting display on the block, not to mention his dismay when his entire extended family shows up as a surprise for Christmas, Christmas Vacation is holiday zaniness at its best, all the way up until that giant fake squirrel jumps out of the Christmas tree and terrorizes Christmas dinner. 

You can relive all of the best moments here: