The Best Classic Christmas Movies

So. You have your Christmas lights up. You’ve been sipping on Eggnog Lattes all week. You’ve contemplated pulling up the Christmas playlist on Spotify. What’s next on the gearing-up-for-Christmas checklist?

Having a Christmas movie marathon, of course. 

I don’t know about y’all,l but to me there’s nothing better than sprawling out in the living room on Thanksgiving day and switching between watching the football game and binge watching all of my Christmas favorites. (That is, until it’s time to go Black Friday shopping. Thanksgiving weekend has a stacked slate, y’all.)   

As a result, I have compiled a list of all the must-see, nostalgic, classic Christmas movies that are the perfect way to spend the evening hours of Thanksgiving day (again: a good, cheerful backdrop for when you’re planning on how to survive the dark chaos that is Black Friday shopping) and kick off the official start to the Christmas season!

1. Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer  (1964)

2. A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving (1973) 

3. Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town (1970)

4. A Christmas Story (1983)

5. The Santa Clause (I, II, and III) 

6. Jack Frost (1979 Animated)

7. Jack Frost (1998 Live Action)

8. Miracle on 34th Street (1947 and 1994)

9. White Christmas (1954)

10. Rudolph’s Shiny New Year (1976)

11. The Grinch (1966 Animated)

12. The Grinch (2000 Jim Carrey version)

13. The Year Without A Santa Claus (1974)

14. Rudolph and Frosty’s Christmas in July (1979)

15. Home Alone (1990)

16. Home Alone: Lost in New York (1992)

17. The Polar Express (2004)

18. Jingle All the Way (1996)

19. Christmas with the Kranks (2004)

20. Frosty the Snowman (1969)

21. Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmas (1999)

22. A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965)

23. Mickey’s Twice Upon A Christmas (2004)

24. Elf (2003)

25. Arthur Christmas (2011)

Honorable Mentions: Netflix Originals and Hallmark Christmas Movies (Yes. All of them.)

Happy binge watching!

• 2019
• christmas
• smu
• winter