Christmas Eve (also known as December 24) is the day before Christmas Day, usually set in the evening. It is the day people in the Western Hemisphere put presents under their Christmas trees. The first two Die Hard films take place on this date and whenever a celebration or event is going on, it is interrupted by terrorists and only John McClane can save the holidays.
Nakatomi Corporation Christmas Party[]
Christmas Eve, 1988, Los Angeles, California: NYPD officer John McClane arrives at LAX International Airport and is greeted by Argyle. His Christmas gift is a big teddy bear who he might give to his children. Argyle drives McClane in his limo to Nakatomi Plaza to meet his wife Holly Gennero. As he arrives, he notices a party being held on the building's 30th floor. After a small argument with Holly, the party is interrupted when a terrorist cell (led by former Volksfrei radical Hans Gruber) take over the building and attempt to steal $640 million in bearer bonds from the vault. Everybody is taken hostage, except for McClane. Throughout the night, McClane defeats the terrorists one by one and thwarts Gruber's scheme, saving the hostages, as well as the holiday.
Another holiday mishap[]
Christmas Eve, 1990, Washington, D.C.: McClane is at Dulles International Airport waiting for his wife's plane to arrive when his mother-in-law's car is towed away. McClane is then relaxing in the lounge when he sees two suspicious men hiding a package away from airport police. McClane follows them to the luggage compound where a shootout ensues. To make matters worse, he is blamed for the shootout by airport police chief Carmine Lorenzo. Due to his incompetence, he does not realize until too late the airport is being taken over by a group of mercenaries (led by ex-Special Forces colonel William Stuart). McClane goes through every knick and knack in the airport taking out terrorists until he finally lights the mercenaries' plane to smithereens. All the passengers on board their respective flights (and those waiting to board) were saved, including Holly, making the holiday saved once again.