Hmmmm....if by traditionally-viewed Christmas specials you mean ones I'd typically watch or would LOVE to watch essentially every year around Christmas I'd say it composes of the following, unranked but numbered list.
1, Rankin/Bass specials, (Little Drummer Boy, Santa Claus is Comin to Town, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, Frosty the Snowman, etc)
2, The Grinch Stole Christmas, (both versions)
3, Polar Express
4, "Elf" is pretty fun
5, Certain Christmas Carol films, (like the Muppets one or Mickey's Christmas Carol)
6, Mickey's Once Upon a Christmas
7, Nightmare Before Christmas, (ALSO works with Halloween and I have no problem with that
)
Quite frankly, for the moment, that's all I can think of as I seemed to have listed general ones but if you'd like know my 3-5 favorite Rankin/Bass specials they are, ranked from best to 'worst'. (I don't really hate any of them as they're fun to watch).
-Little Drummer Boy
-Year Without a Santa Claus, (cause Miser Bros.
*whistles/hums the Snow or Heat Miser song* )
-Santa Claus is Comin to Town
-Frosty the Snowman
-Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.
Now that I've got Rankin/Bass on my mind I know one thing I want for Christmas now, a collection of their specials. (They also did Here Comes Peter Cottontail btw, the Easter special starring Casey Kasem, voice of Shaggy in the original animated Scooby-Doo cartoons, oh and also stars Vincent Price as the "terrible, wicked, NASTY rabbit, named Iron Tail".)
*hums the Little Drummer Boy*
"Come...they told me, pa-rum-pum-pum...pum.
A newborn king to see, pa-rum-pum-pum...pum.
Our finest gifts we bring pa-rum-pum-pum...pum.
To lay before our king, pa-rum-pum-pum...pum.
Rum-pum-pum...pum....rum-pum-pum...pum.
So...to honor Him, pa-rum-pum-pum pum....
When we come."
The Little Drummer Boy was ALWAYS my favorite special cause of that ending and the song, just so...lovely. <3