Let’s be honest, we started watching Christmas movies the second Halloween was over. ‘Tis the season for cozying up with a warm cup of hot chocolate and watching your favorite Christmas movie during winter break. It’s one of the most festive and jolly times of the year and there’s plenty of movies to celebrate the occasion. Some may be childhood favorites, some may be new classics, but they’re perfect for getting you in the holiday spirit. Here are some of our favorites.
1. The Santa Clause (1994)
Image courtesy of Sky
You know it’s going to be an awesome comedy when it stars Tim Allen. Allen plays Scott who accidentally kills Santa Clause on Christmas Eve while he has custody of his young son. After visiting the North Pole, Allen’s character becomes the new Santa Clause and begins to experience changes leading up to the next holiday season. Throughout the movie and leading up to his first Christmas as Santa, Scott (Allen) begins to gain weight and take on the appearance of Santa Clause while also coming to terms with who he is becoming.
2. The Polar Express (2004)
Image courtesy of Milton Theatre
A young boy discovers a train ticket for the Polar Express on Christmas Eve and experiences a journey to the North Pole on the magical train after it shows up outside his home. The journey teaches him to believe in the spirit of Christmas again, as he was beginning to doubt the existence of Santa Clause. Throughout the journey, he makes new friends and discovers what Christmas is really about. Another perk is this movie has a great soundtrack, perfect for singing along to.
3. Jack Frost (1998)
Image courtesy of Movie Mavericks
Jack, an aspiring musician is on his way home over Christmas to spend the special time with his wife and son. On his way home, he encounters a dangerous snowstorm that results in a fatal crash. Jack, left his son Charlie a harmonica before he passed that turns out to be magical. Charlie, who is still mourning the loss of his father, builds a snowman and plays the harmonica the following Christmas. This resurrects Jack’s spirit inside the snowman and he reconnects with his son.
4. Home Alone (1990)
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In this Christmas comedy young Kevin McCallister is accidentally forgotten at home while his family leaves their home to go on a Christmas vacation. The family mistakenly oversleeps the day of their flight due to a late night power outage, which leaves them in a rush to get to the airport. Young Kevin is initially overjoyed that he gets to be alone when he wakes up to an empty house. However, he soon becomes frightened when a pair of burglars target the home and it is up to him to protect it until his parents return home.
5. The Holiday (2006)
A little bit different than any of the other movies on this list, The Holiday is a must-see romantic comedy. Two women from London and Los Angeles decide to exchange their homes during the holidays to get away from their unraveling lives for two weeks. Both Iris and Amanda meet new friends in the cities their visiting and they start to dread their return home.
Spend your winter break having a movie marathon after celebrating the end of finals. These movies are perfect for getting in the holiday spirit and reminding you of your favorite Christmas traditions.