Believe it or not, we’ve reached December. Again. And with that, the world gets the official green light to start donning the Christmas spirit. Storefronts, Starbucks’ seasonal drinks, radio stations, and even lampposts get into it—all decked out in ribbons and sparkly lights. For some, it makes these dark days seem merry and bright. For others, it can be, well, overkill. And you know what? It’s okay to admit it; it doesn’t make you a Grinch. Maybe you work as a sales associate or a barista and you’re forced to hear Christmas carols all day long. Maybe you’re just up to your eyeballs in finals and you can only handle mini doses of holiday cheer until you’re free. That’s your choice! In the meantime, here are some non-Christmas movies featuring excellent Christmas scenes for you to dip your toes and get partially in the mood for the most wonderful time of the year!
1. Meet Me in St. Louis (1944)
This good ol’ American classic follows a year in the life of the Smith family, who are on the brink of moving to New York City from their beloved St. Louis. Though it begins in the summer of 1904, the eventual Christmas season scenes feature a family of snow people, an elegant Christmas Eve ball, and a tender moment between Judy Garland’s character Esther and her little sister Tootie. Tootie is forlorn at the idea of leaving St. Louis for the big city, so Esther sings “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas” to comfort her. Fun fact, this movie actually originated the now classic Christmas song!
2. Lady and the Tramp (1955)
Another American classic! This time following animated dogs, but don’t let that fool you. This movie is full of action as it depicts how love can overcome class struggles and conflicts due to snap judgments based on appearance. It even begins and ends with heart-warming Christmas scenes; and of course the romantic spaghetti and meatball kiss scene is sandwiched in the middle.
3. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (2001)
Have you ever daydreamed about late-night excursions up the Astronomy Tower? Flying lessons on the Quidditch pitch? Or stuffing your face at every meal in the Great Hall? If you said no, then I’m just going to say it right now: you’re terrible a liar. Similarly, I’m betting you’ve salivated over the prospect of spending Christmas at Hogwarts. What with the snowball fights, cosy Christmas mornings by the Gryffindor fire, and the inevitable knitted jumper from Mrs. Weasley, J.K. Rowling has truly made a fantasy out of the holidays at Hogwarts, and the score will give you all the Christmas feels.
4. Bridget Jones’s Diary (2001)
Even everyone’s favourite accident-prone British diarist celebrates the holidays! Okay true, this scene is actually a New Year’s party, not Christmas, but how can you deny Mark Darcy’s fantastically horrible Christmas sweater? This is also the scene where Bridget and Mark meet for the first time since they were kids, and the rest, as they say, is history.
5. Mean Girls (2004)
If you’ve never even briefly considered re-enacting the (in)famous “Jingle Bell Rock” talent showcase dance from Mean Girls, then I’m sorry but we can’t be friends. This carefully choreographed number, performed by “Santa’s Little Helpers” (a.k.a. Regina George, Cady Heron, Karen Smith and Gretchen Weiner, a.k.a. The Plastics), has become simply iconic. In fact, there are almost too many glorious moments packed into this Christmas-themed scene to list. Ok, just a quick shoutout to Regina’s mom (played by Amy Poehler), who mimics the dance from the audience. She kills me every time.