The holiday classic The Nightmare Before Christmas is a special family feature enjoyed all around the holidays, from before Halloween all the way to Christmas. Truly a master in symbolism and enchanting imagery, Tim Burton’s magical stop-motion animated film weaves everything we love about the two holidays: the spooky, handmade charm of Halloween, the ephemeral white, sparkly snow of winter, the togetherness, warmth and giving of Christmas, and the haunting and catchy sounds of Danny Elfman into one thoughtful, magical world.
Kids love it, parents love it.
As one wouldn’t expect anything less from Tim Burton, the artist behind such other classics as Beeteljuice and Edward Scissorhands, the creator and director has hidden dozens of “Easter Eggs” throughout The Nightmare Before Christmas, like little magical surprises waiting to be discovered.
In case you need some finding them, here is a list of 21 hidden “Easter Eggs”:
- Nod to Silent Film: The film opens with a moon that has a face, which is a nod to George Méliès’ classic silent film A Trip to the Moon (1902).
- Hidden Mickey: In the scene where Jack Skellington is creating a snowflake, you can spot a hidden Mickey Mouse shape in the design.
- Tim Burton’s Cameo: Look closely, and you’ll notice that the design of the forest in the movie resembles the spiral hill in Tim Burton’s name.
- Vincent: In the town hall scene, you can see a pumpkin that resembles Vincent, a character from Tim Burton’s earlier short film, Vincent.
- Beetlejuice: When Sally is creating a Christmas wreath, the ingredients she uses include “Deadly Nightshade,” which is a reference to another Tim Burton film, Beetlejuice.
- Hidden Mickey: In the scene where Jack is at the fountain, you can spot a hidden Mickey Mouse on the spider web.
- “Edward Scissorhands” Reference: When Jack visits the real world, you can see an “Edward Scissorhands” toy in a store window, paying homage to another of Tim Burton’s creations.
- Hidden Mickeys in the Cemetery: In the cemetery scenes, several tombstones have hidden Mickey Mouse designs.
- Mr. Hyde’s Tombstone: One of the tombstones in the cemetery reads “Here Lies Mr. Hyde,” referencing the character from Robert Louis Stevenson’s novel, Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.
- Zero’s Nose: Zero, Jack’s ghostly dog, has a glowing pumpkin nose, similar to Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.
- Oogie Boogie’s Lair: In Oogie Boogie’s underground lair, you can spot several roulette wheels, hinting at his gambling nature.
- Jack’s Tombstone: The tombstone that Jack Skellington bursts out of at the beginning of the movie reads “Here Lies Jack, The Pumpkin King,” foreshadows his identity.
- Melting Duck: When the vampires sing, “Kidnap the Sandy Claws,” they melt a rubber duck, which is a reference to the song’s lyrics.
- Silent Film Reference: The harp that accompanies the song “Kidnap the Sandy Claws” resembles the face of the moon from Georges Méliès’ film A Trip to the Moon.
- Cameo: The director Henry Selick makes a cameo appearance as the voice of the evil scientist who tells Jack to take off his Santa suit.
- Formula: In the same scene, the formula on the blackboard is a mathematical equation for a snowflake.
- Hidden “Beetlejuice” Logo: In one scene, the tree has a swirl pattern that resembles the “Betelgeuse” logo from Tim Burton’s film “Beetlejuice.”
- “Corpse Bride” Cameo: The Corpse Kid, a character from Tim Burton’s “Corpse Bride,” gives a cameo during the Halloween Town celebration.
- The Mummy Kid: The character known as the “Mummy Kid” resembles the classic Universal movie monsters, particularly the Mummy.
- Dr. Finkelstein’s Needle Hands: Dr. Finkelstein’s needle-like hands have a similar design to Sally’s sewing needles, emphasizing their connection.
- Zero’s Collar: In some scenes, Zero’s collar has the same spiral hill design seen on Tim Burton’s name, linking him to the creator.
Let us know if you find any others!