Christmas Miracles: Five Daring Holiday Escapes

Now that we’re fully in holiday mode here at Krakit—with our newly opened Nightmare Before Christmas room and a general feeling of good (if spooky) cheer—we’ve been thinking of other daring Christmastime escapes.

Though we usually associate this time of year with lazily sitting around in darkened living rooms, with a cup of cider in hand, there’s more escape action at the holidays than you might think—not only in pop culture, but also in real life.

Ancienne prison Winter à Sherbrooke, Québec (Photo: Michel Gagnon CC)

1. Marv and Harry’s escape from the house in Home Alone

Let’s start the list off with a bang (and a fall and a blowtorch to the head). Young Kevin McCallister was clearly ahead of his time, making a topnotch escape room from things he just happened to have lying around the house.

Marv and Harry do manage to escape Kevin’s house of horrors, but ultimately are nabbed by the popo and placed in the clink.

2. Four Orlando prisoners bust out Christmas Day 1955

Prison escapes seem to be a much more common thing back in the day, with lots of planning on the part of successful inmates. This particular Florida crew—all imprisoned for cheque forgery—knew that their best chance of escape was Christmas day.

Why? Because the carol singing would drown out the sound of their hacksaws and drills. The glory didn’t last long, as they were nabbed a few days later.

3. The Von Trapps escape Nazi-occupied Austria

We all know the film Sound of Music as a holiday staple, but the real Von Trapp family actually did escape to America during the holiday season.

The family didn’t tramp through the Alps as the film shows, but Maria, Georg and their ten kids did use their musical act to fool the authorities. The Von Trapps told people they were going to America to perform, heading for Italy by train one day before the Austrian border closed, eventually landing in the US on December 30, 1942.

4. Red Hugh O’Donnell bests Queen Elizabeth I on Christmas Eve 1591

A much older Christmas escape comes courtesy of Red Hugh O’Donnell, or more correctly, Aodh Ruadh Ó Domhnaill. The future Irish rebellion leader found himself imprisoned in Dublin Castle, after falling into an English trap at age 15. Three years later, O’Donnell and other inmates used the distraction of Christmas Eve to escape their captors, climbing down the castle by rope and swimming the freezing cold moat.

Although he lost his friends (and a toe) to frostbite, Red Hugh lived and went on to lead the Nine Years War (1594–1603) against England and Queen Elizabeth I.

5. John McClane wins freedom for all in Die Hard

When terrorists overrun a Christmas Eve party at his estranged wife’s work, NYC cop John McClane has none of it. Hans Gruber takes all the festive cheer right out of the event by taking everyone hostage—except for John, who manages to get away and save the day in what many people call their favourite Christmas film.


Give the gift of a thrilling Krakit escape this year with our Vancouver Escape Room gift certificates, which you can pick up in person or have emailed in digital form.