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For many fans of the 1983 film, it just wouldn't be Christmas without a viewing of A Christmas Story.

From director Bob Clark, and based on the 1966 book In God We Trust: All Others Pay Cash by Jean Shepherd, A Christmas Story follows 9-year-old Ralphie Parker (Peter Billingsley) as he tries to secure his dream Christmas gift, a Red Ryder Carbine action, two-hundred shot range model air rifle, in 1939 Indiana.

The film also stars Darren McGavin and Melinda Dillon as Ralphie's parents, and Ian Petrella as his little brother, Randy. In addition to Ralphie's quest, the film also follows the family and friends' hijinks as they try to celebrate the holiday season -- from awkward encounters with Santa Claus and a ruined turkey to the infamous "triple dog dare" that left a little boy's tongue frozen to the school flagpole.

A Christmas Story has long been considered a holiday staple. TNT has been holding their annual 24-hour Christmas Eve marathon of the film since 1997. In November, it was ruled the most popular Christmas movie in the United States per data from Today's Homeowner.

The quotable classic is Certified Fresh with an 89 percent approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, and snagged the top spot of IGN's favorite Christmas movies list in 2011. The following year, it was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress for being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant."

The annual 24-hour A Christmas Story marathon runs from 8 p.m. ET/PT on Christmas Eve to 8 p.m. ET/PT on Christmas Day on TNT. TBS also airs a 24-hour marathon of the film, which begins at 9 p.m. ET/PT on Tuesday, December 24.