Christmas is a wonderful time of year. It's a time for family, friends, and loved ones to come together. It's a time for giving and receiving gifts, enjoying delicious meals, and spreading joy and cheer.

The origins of Christmas can be traced back to the ancient pagan festivals of the winter solstice. Many cultures worldwide celebrate festivals at the end of winter to mark the end of the dark winter months and look forward to the longer, warmer days of spring.

In the Christian religion, Christmas has also become a deeply significant and widely celebrated holiday. It is a time when Christians remember the birth of Jesus Christ and celebrate his life and teachings. Christmas is a time for spiritual reflection and renewal for many people, as well as joy and celebration with loved ones.

To join the festivity, brands usually host special promotions during this period or will schedule a post to wish those who celebrate it. So, if you are looking for free animations for your greetings or other designs, here are 66 free Christmas animations that are great for social media, apps, websites, and other platforms!

Christmas animations for greetings

The holiday season is upon us, and what better way to celebrate than by sending Christmas greetings to your loved ones? As a brand, sending a Christmas wish to your customers shows your commitment to inclusivity and celebrating the diverse traditions of the season.

With our Lottie Editor, you can even turn these animations into Telegram stickers or download them in GIF format to use on any messaging app. You can even explore and download your favorite free animations as a sticker using the LottieFiles mobile app.

For an even quicker way to spread holiday cheer, download our LottieFiles Keyboard for Android and iOS, which allows you to send any animation with just a few taps.

Here are some festive animations to use as Christmas greetings:

Santa Claus animations

On Christmas Eve, Santa Claus is said to deliver gifts to the homes of well-behaved children. The jolly old man has a white beard and a red suit and lives at the North Pole with his reindeer team. The modern version of Santa Claus is based on a multitude of inspirations, including the Dutch tale of Sinterklaas and the British figure of Father Christmas.

Whether you are a believer or not, there is no denying the magic and wonder that Santa Claus brings to the holiday season. So as you deck the halls and trim the tree, be sure to keep an eye out for jolly old St. Nick – you never know when he might make an appearance!

Christmas animations for trees

Ah, the Christmas tree - a beloved tradition and a staple of the holiday season. Whether it is the classic evergreen or you're opting for an artificial tree, the important thing is that it brings joy and festivity to your home during the holiday season.

Decorating the Christmas tree is a fun and enjoyable activity for the whole family that helps to get everyone into the holiday spirit. People go creative by stringing lights and hanging decorations, tinsel and other festive accents, and the gleaming star or angel at the top. When the Christmas tree is fully decorated, it becomes a beautiful and festive centerpiece for your holiday celebrations.

Christmas gifts animations

The origins of gift-giving can be traced back to pagan winter rituals. When Christianity incorporated these traditions into the Christmas celebration, the giving of gifts was associated with the Three Wise Men, who brought gifts for the baby Jesus. However, in early modern Europe, gift-giving also had connections to Christmas begging.

At that time, Christmas was a more boisterous holiday where groups of young men would go from house to house and demand gifts from the wealthy. This practice aided in the formation of bonds between different social classes.

Gift-giving in the United States evolved to an emphasis on children in the 1800s, and it was associated with the appearance of Santa Claus. Today, Christmas gifts are frequently distributed amongst family members and friends to express love and thanks. Toys, books, clothes, and food are all popular Christmas gifts.

Christmas decoration animations

People use a wide variety of decorations during the Christmas season. Christmas lights, wreaths, mistletoe, bells, and stockings are some common examples. Others include ornaments, tinsel, lights and candy canes.

Overall, the type of Christmas decorations used by people can vary greatly depending on personal preference and cultural traditions. Whatever they decide, the joy and amazement on the faces of children and families as they admire your various decorations is the best part of it all.

Christmas snowman animations

Snowmen are a great way to have fun in the winter, which can be a part of the Christmas decorations and other winter holidays. To make a snowman, all you need is snow, a few basic materials, and a little bit of creativity.

The base is composed of rolled-up snowballs carefully placed together to form the snowman's body. Then come to your personal touches. You can make arms and a face for your snowman out of sticks, rocks, or other items. A carrot makes an excellent nose, and buttons or coal can be used for the eyes and mouth. Some folks prefer to dress up their snowmen with hats, scarves, and other accessories to give them charm and character.

Other Christmas animations

There are many iconic parts of Christmas, like the food and the reindeer, snow in general, Santa’s sleigh and so many more!. These animations can be used as loading animations, interactive parts on your website, newsletters or social media postings, or as part of larger sceneries.

Browse through the Lottie library to find more Christmas animation

If you haven't found the Christmas animation you're looking for, you can browse our full library of Christmas animations here. Additionally, you can customize these animations using our Color Palette  feature and Lottie Editor.

If you're looking for an easy and on-the-go canvas, try using our LottieFiles Mobile app! Bring the magic of motion to your social post, conversation and designs. You can also integrate LottieFiles with tools like Framer, WordPress, Figma, Adobe XD and many more, making it easier for you to use Lottie animations in your designs.

With these ready-made designs, you don’t have to be a designer to use Lottie animations. Also, before we end this list, here are some quick links to help you on using Lottie animations:

And if you’re looking for more design elements – such as vector icons, 3D icons or 3D illustrations – take a look at this collection of Christmas design assets on IconScout.  

Merry Christmas from all of us at LottieFiles!