Songfacts®:

• The song is built on a sample of "Back Door Santa," a 1968 blues track by Clarence Carter. In Carter's song, Santa is sneaking around with another man's girl (see "Back Door Man"). "Christmas in Hollis" tells the story of an encounter with Saint Nick in Hollis, Queens, where Run-D.M.C. grew up.
• Run-D.M.C. recorded the song for the 1987 A Very Special Christmas compilation album, which donated proceeds to the Special Olympics. It was the only original composition on the album, although several of the tracks became Christmas radio staples, including Madonna's version of "Santa Baby" and The Pretenders take on "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas."
• "Christmas in Hollis" is one of the most famous Christmas rap songs, but it's far from the first. In 1979, Kurtis Blow's "Christmas Rappin'" became the first hip-hop song released on a major label. The 1981 seasonal favorite "Christmas Wrapping" also could be considered rap, or at least wrap.
• "Christmas in Hollis" has been used in several holiday-themed TV episodes, including:
  
  Fresh Off The Boat ("Cousin Eddie" - 2018)
  Lethal Weapon ("Jingle Bell Glock" - 2016)
  Brooklyn Nine-Nine ("Christmas" - 2013)
  The Neighbors ("Merry Crap-mas" - 2012)
  Chuck ("Chuck Versus The Crown Vic" - 2007)
  Everybody Hates Chris ("Everybody Hates Kris" - 2006)
  The Office ("Christmas Party" - 2005)
  
  In the 2024 Abbott Elementary episode "Winter Show," Quinta Brunson's character uses the song for a student step show, and is horrified when none of the kids are familiar with it. Even worse, they've never heard of Run-D.M.C.! She and other faculty end up singing the song to the kids, but they're not swayed - they want to use an Ariana Grande song.
• The song shows up in these movies:
  
  Holiday Rush (2019)
  The Grinch (2018)
  Daddy's Home 2 (2017)
  How To Be Single (2016)
  Less Than Zero (1987)
• In the 1988 movie Die Hard, "Christmas in Hollis" plays in an early scene where Bruce Willis' character (John McClane) is being driven to a Christmas party. His driver plays the song (on cassette!), and when it starts playing, Willis asks, "You got any Christmas music?"
  
  "This is Christmas music," he replies.
  
  The opening line, "It was December 24th," signals when the film is set: Christmas Eve. Various Christmas songs play throughout the film, but the plot has nothing to do with the holiday. This has led to debate over whether or not Die Hard is a Christmas movie. Willis has said it is not.
• Run-D.M.C. were initially reluctant to record "Christmas In Hollis," fearing it was too similar to "Christmas Rappin."
  
  "In hip-hop culture, you can't duplicate what's already been done, so we weren't sure about doing it," Darryl McDaniel told The New York Post.
  
  Their publicist Bill Adler convinced them to released the track after their DJ Jam Master Jay incorporated the "Back Door Santa" sample.
• Run-D.M.C have had occasional reunions since the shooting death of their third member, Jason "Jam Master Jay" Mizzel, in 2002. Joseph "Run" Simmons and Darryl "DMC" McDaniels performed "Christmas In Hollis" for the first time in nearly 20 years on The Wonderful World Of Disney: Magical Holiday Celebration. ABC filmed their rare rendition as part of a pre-recorded segment for the show that aired on November 27, 2022.