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Classic Christmas Movies You Must Watch This Holiday Season

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The opinions expressed in this article are the writer’s own and do not reflect the views of Her Campus.
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Hofstra chapter.

As the Holiday season approaches and your list of endless activities to do with friends and family is created, don’t forget about the simple and fun activity of just sitting down and watching some good old classic Christmas movies with some warm cookies and hot cocoa. This short list of classic Christmas movies are ‘must-watch’ for this holiday season. With touches of comedy, heartwarming scenes, and an overall sense of Christmas spirit these movies will have you appreciating the holiday season even more and will be the backbone of great memories with friends and family for a lifetime.

A Charlie Brown Christmas:

Starting strong one of the classic Christmas movies you must watch this holiday season is A Charlie Brown Christmas. This  might be controversial to some as there are many Christmas movies to choose from but from a personal perspective this movie was a staple in my childhood and holds so many memories. It gives you that nostalgic feeling when you watch it. Since it is one of the older movies on this list first premiering on December 9, 1965, it just feels very warm and homey. It has its heartwarming scenes with the friendship between Charlie brown and other characters like Linus, Lucy, Sally, and the Iconic Snoopy! This movie emphasizes that you don’t need much to be in the Christmas spirit. It doesn’t matter what presents you get or how many decorations you have, as long as you have the people who are important to you, Christmas can be just as beautiful. 

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Home Alone:

Moving to another classic Christmas movie, a true fan favorite, Home Alone! This movie is one that most people have on their list of ‘must watch’ every year. The comedy in this movie is something that truly draws people in and keeps people watching every year. The plot of this classic movie revolves around a young eight-year-old boy named Kevin being left behind at home by his large family. His family is wealthy and is the next target of the neighborhood burglars. Even at his young age Kevin is extremely clever in his ways of tricking these burglars and is having the time of his life creating traps and being at home alone in this massive house. He has the freedom to do whatever he wants and he fully takes advantage. On the other hand, his mother is freaking out about not noticing that one of her kids was missing from the family trip! Even though the movie is filled with several comedic scenes that will have you laughing uncontrollably, the end brings the story together with the family being together for Christmas. Even with struggles and great obstacles to get back together, Christmas wouldn’t be the same without all the members of the McCallister family!

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The Polar Express:

Up next is The Polar Express! This movie is a classic for those looking to remember the importance of the Christmas spirit! Even as we all grow older you never get too old to believe in Christmas magic! The plot of this story is based around a young boy who is skeptical about the existence of Santa Claus and goes on a fascinating adventure to the North Pole, meeting many new friends and finding the true meaning of Christmas with them! This movie has many beautiful and fun songs to sing along with as well as characters who will make you laugh and some that might even make you shed a few tears. However throughout the movie the young boy gets to find out for himself just how magical Christmas can be when you truly believe! You can only hear Christmas bells if your heart believes in the magic of Christmas! So when you aren’t feeling like you have really gotten into the Christmas season this year, make sure you throw on this Christmas movie classic, and shortly thereafter you will remember just how important it is to never forget to believe!

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Elf:

The Last classic Christmas movie you must watch this holiday season is the one and only Elf! This movie has many funny but also heartwarming scenes along with messages that everyone should always stick by. Being different is a good thing and there’s nothing wrong with being different. Embrace your differences and never change for anyone! It also of course emphasizes the Christmas spirit with Santa’s biggest supporter Buddy. Buddy goes on a mission to find his real father in the big city of New York after he finds out he wasn’t born an elf. However, Buddy loves Christmas so much and wants to share his love for the holidays with everyone he meets. He truly shows everyone by the end of the movie that Christmas is the most wonderful time of year and being with the ones you love and remembering to believe in Christmas is what makes this time of year so special. Buddy is also known for his iconic breakfast dish of spaghetti, maple syrup, chocolate syrup, M&Ms, marshmallows, and a chocolate fudge Pop Tart! Buddy is a funny, optimistic character that will never cease to make you smile during the holiday season! Elf is a must-watch classic Christmas movie and forever will be one of my own personal favorites!

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Merry Christmas!

As many people know, Christmas is the “most wonderful time of year!” It’s filled with laughter, giving, love, friends, family, and Christmas spirit! With this time of year being as busy as it is with activities like cookie making, Christmas tree decorating, Christmas parties, and many more, don’t forget to take a moment to breathe and relax and sit down with the ones you love this holiday season and watch one of these classic Christmas movies. Trust me you don’t want to miss out on these!

Heddi Wells

Hofstra '26

Heddi Wells is a sophomore at Hofstra University. She is from Connecticut and is majoring in Music Business with a minor in Social Media Marketing. She is interested in writing about pop culture, fashion and beauty trends, music, and the music industry.