The big day has arrived, bringing family, eggnog, togetherness and food. For some, too much of the above. That’s why television was invented. OK, maybe not. But you must admit it can fill the gaps in conversation. Whether you use the tube to enhance family bonding or to facilitate silence and escape, here’s a handy daylong guide to Christmas television.

Start the morning with the 2001 thriller “Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah” (8 a.m., Sci Fi). Nothing adds to a cacophony of Christmas morning like the sight of giant reptiles crushing cars all over Tokyo. And it’s a nice accompaniment to the sound of packages being torn open and the shredding of gift-wrapping paper.

After an onslaught of Nutcracker renditions and “Dirty Dancing” knockoffs, you may begin to pine for a world in which fancy footwork has been forbidden. Return to the magic of “Footloose” (10:30 a.m., VH1), the 1984 fantasy where Kevin Bacon helps a small town get its groove back.

“Meet Me in St. Louis” (1:30 p.m., TCM) has little to do with Christmas, but Judy Garland’s rendition of “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” helped turn that sad little ditty into a holiday evergreen.

Truman Capote reportedly hated the 1961 Hollywood adaptation of his novella “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” (4 p.m., Oxygen), but viewers have embraced Audrey Hepburn’s stylish Holly Golightly for nearly half a century. The black Givenchy gown designed for Hepburn’s role in this film was recently sold for $800,000.

By day’s end, you’ll be hoping your guests and relatives are “Spirited Away” (6 p.m., Cartoon Network). Like all of director Hayao Miyazaki’s work, this animated film about a child’s discovery of ghosts and wild and legendary creatures in an enchanted forest has the feel of a cinematic epic.

It these TV diversions don’t get you through the day, check out the ongoing Christmas marathons. On TBS, “A Christmas Story” is in steady rotation, ending at 7 p.m.; FX is offering a day’s submersion in “Ice Age” through 8 p.m.; and TV Land features a steady stream of classic Christmas-themed shows, ending with the 1963 episode of “The Andy Griffith Show” (8:30 p.m., TV Land) in which Barney tries to convince Andy it’s time to find a new wife.

Tonight’s other highlights

¢ Regis Philbin, Kelly Ripa and Ryan Seacrest co-host the “Walt Disney World Christmas Day Parade” (9 a.m., ABC).

¢ Chris works as Santa’s helper on “Everybody Hates Chris” (7 p.m., CW).

¢ Johnny Depp channels his inner Keith Richards to bring insouciant swagger to the 2003 romp “Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl” (7 p.m., ABC). Too bad he couldn’t shave a good 45 minutes off the running time.

¢ Cesar Millan trains humans to set their dogs straight in three consecutive episodes of “The Dog Whisperer” (7 p.m., National Geographic).

¢ A disabled man (Cuba Gooding Jr.) becomes an inspiration to a football coach (Ed Harris) and his team in the 2003 drama “Radio” (7 p.m., Fox).

¢ The Miami Dolphins play host to the New Jersey-based New York Jets in NFL action (7:30 p.m., ESPN).

¢ Marisol’s status as a trial witness puts her life in peril on “CSI: Miami” (9 p.m., CBS).