The Grinch or It's a Wonderful Life: Which is the best holiday classic?

Is the greatest Christmas watching tradition one where salvation is found with the help of an angel, or an army of singing Whoville residents?

For the past week, CBC Early Edition listeners have been taking part in the Ultimate Christmas "Movie" Bracket, voting between the best of 32 holiday classics in four different categories Historic Classics, Modern Classics, TV Specials and "Christmas Adjacent" films.

After more than20,000 votes, two contenders remain It's A Wonderful Life and the original animated version of How the Grinch Stole Christmas.

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While both are beloved classics, only one can be crowned the winner and Canadian author Dina Del Bucchiasays people should choose the Grinch, famously adapted from Dr. Seuss's children's book into a Chuck Jones animated special in 1966.

"First off, the whole thing is a poem, and poems are always better than anything that's not a poem," said Del Bucchia, who co-hosts the podcast Can't Lit withJen Sookfong Lee.

"It rhymes. It'sfunny. Great jokes. The language is amazing, the animation is so great. Also it's a movie that teaches us that old grumpy men can actually change."

However, there are plenty that will prefer the older and longer It's A Wonderful Life, the famed Jimmy Stewart 1946 classic that was famously a box office disappointment when it was first released.

"It still somehow manages to be emotionally affecting, and the themes that are explored in the movie are possibly even more relevant today than when they were originally released," said Omari Newton, a local writer and actor who starred inContinuum.

"It's not just a great Christmas movie, but it's one of the great movies that has been made."

But which one is the best? That's up to you to decide.

Voting will be open until noon pacific time on Friday, with the winner announced on Monday's Early Edition.