National Geographic: In Japan, Beethoven’s Ode to Joy is a Christmas Carol.
In Die Hard it’s a nice touch that Beethoven’s 9th Symphony, ‘Ode to Joy’ is a recurring musical theme in the movie. Since NatGeo says “Ode to Joy” is a Christmas carol, then you’d have to be anti-science to disagree.
Yes, I understand that NatGeo says “in Japan”. To that, I say, “Nakatomi Plaza”. Within the context of the movie, it’s a Christmas movie. Quod erat demonstrandum.
Here is a nice Japanese rendition of Beethoven’s “Ode to Joy” sung by 10,000 Japanese at Christmas.