From a young age, I’ve faced criticism for not feeling crazy about Christmas. It’s not the same as disliking Easter or Halloween; people have told me that something is deeply wrong with me for not loving this holiday. Firstly, I think it’s unnecessary to shame people for their harmless preferences. Secondly, it’s not like I dislike Christmas because I dislike joy and connection. These values are meaningful to me. My feelings toward Christmas mainly come from an upbringing where obligation, materialism, and superficiality were the prominent features of this holiday. Even after successfully distancing myself from the people who instilled these traits, Christmas still overwhelms me.
You might have me pegged as a Christmas hater, but I am not. Although I am not rushing to get into the holiday spirit, I can appreciate some aspects of the cozy Christmas season: warm dinners, snowy walks, and carefully selected winter movies. Here are some Christmas movies that I, as a person who doesn’t love Christmas, actually enjoy:
- The Family Stone (2005)
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No pun intended, but this hidden gem is a family favourite. I love the eccentric Stone family, and I was surprised to see famous actresses like Sarah Jessica Parker and Rachel McAdams in a movie that nobody seems to talk about. In The Family Stone, Everett takes his girlfriend Meredith (Sarah Jessica Parker) home for Christmas, and she does not get along with his family. This movie contains love, tragedy, and a small but perfect amount of Christmas.
- Scrooge (1970)
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I love Halloween, so is it surprising that I love a ghost-filled Christmas movie? I’m sure most people know Charles Dickens’s A Christmas Carol, a story where three ghosts visit a grumpy elderly man named Ebenezer Scrooge to get him to change his rotten ways. I love this rendition because of Albert Finney’s acting, the catchy songs, and the flawlessly executed 1860s set.
- While You Were Sleeping (1995)
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While You Were Sleeping is the least Christmas-themed of these movies; Christmas happens during this movie, but this film isn’t about the holiday. Instead, this movie is about Lucy, a train token collector, who saves her crush when he falls on the train tracks. He loses consciousness, and she accidentally makes his family think she is his fiancée. While her crush is in the hospital, she spends Christmas with his family, whom she comes to love, especially his brother.
- Little Women (1994)
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Little Women follows four sisters through hardship, friendship, and love in the 1860s. Although it is not about Christmas, this movie helps me romanticize the Christmas season. I love the March family’s cheerful home, their selfless act on Christmas, and the ice skating scene. This movie makes me want to spend Christmas at a snow-covered cottage, drinking tea with my loved ones.
I love these wintry Christmas movies, but I’m not going to leave autumn in the dust just yet. However, I know these movies will help me delight in the holiday season when I’m ready to, which is preferable to ruminating on its unenjoyable aspects. If you, like me, aren’t obsessed with Christmas, perhaps these movies are worth a try!