The most wonderful time of the year may still be upwards of a month away, but you can’t tell Hallmark Channel that! So, why not give in to your hopeless-romantic guilty pleasure, and turn on a cheesy Hallmark Christmas movie to get into the spirit? But of course, there’s just so many… and sifting through them all can be as tedious as shoveling snow. But never fear! My mom and I have watched almost every Hallmark movie ever made (and I mean that literally), so I’m here to recommend you twelve Hallmark Holiday movies to get you in the holiday spirit.
Crown for Christmas
After getting fired from her job as a maid, Allie accepts a holiday position as the governess to a young girl who is part of a rich family in Europe. After arriving, Allie learns the girl is a princess and her father is the widowed King of Winshire. Allie and the princess wind up hitting it off while a spark forms between Allie and the king. However, a beautiful countess is expecting to marry the king.
12 Gifts of Christmas
When Anna, an unemployed painter, is struggling to make ends meet, she becomes a personal Christmas shopper for Marc, an uptight corporate exec. As they work together, Marc learns that Christmas giving has less to do with the amount of money spent and more to do with the importance of the gift, while Anna discovers she might find success as an artist in a way she never expected.
Christmas Under Wraps
When Dr. Lauren Brunell is put on the waitlist for a prestigious fellowship, she must take the only other opening available as the head doctor in a small, remote town in Alaska, where she is immediately charmed by Andy, a handsome local whose mysterious father bears a few too many similarities to Santa Clause. Andy soon starts to show Lauren the importance of living in the moment and enjoying her unexpected adventure.
Holly & Ivy
When Melody’s neighbor, Nina, learns that her illness has returned, Melody promises to keep Nina’s kids, Holly & Ivy, together. To adopt the children, she must renovate her new fixer-upper, which she does with the help of the contractor, Adam. This heartfelt Hallmark Movies & Mysteries film balances romance and family in a lovely emotional way.
The Nine Lives of Christmas
Fireman Zachary Stone is a bachelor who doesn’t believe in love or commitment. When a stray tabby cat shows up at his door, Zachary takes him in and slowly starts to see that a little companionship might not be so bad after all. Zachary’s commitment to solitude is further challenged when he meets Marilee, an animal lover and veterinary student who teaches Zachary how to care for his new feline roommate.
The Christmas House
Working through some difficult decisions, Mitchell family matriarch Phylis and patriarch Bill, have summoned their two grown sons – TV star, Mike and Brandon – home for the holidays, hoping to bring the family together to recreate the Christmas house. As Brandon and his husband Jake make the trip home, they are anxiously awaiting a call about the adoption of their first child. Meanwhile, Mike reconnects with Andi, his high school sweetheart.
On the Twelfth Day of Christmas
Maggie is thrilled when her long-time crush, Mitch, moves to her small town but once Maggie discovers Mitch and his love for Christmas has drastically changed, she vows to bring the holiday spirit back into his life. Determined to show him the magic of Christmas, she decides to create 12 Christmas gifts that ask him to do fun Christmas tasks in order to renew his love for the season.
Love, Lights, Hanukkah
As Christina prepares her restaurant for Christmas, a DNA test reveals that she’s Jewish. The discovery leads her to a new family and a new, unlikely romance over eight crazy nights.
Christmas Next Door
Eric, an author of bachelor lifestyle books, is left in charge of his young niece and nephew for the holidays. Eric turns to his neighbor April, a lover of all things Christmas, for help.
One Royal Holiday
When Anna offers a stranded mother and son shelter in a blizzard, she learns that they are the Royal Family of Galwick. Anna shows the Prince how they do Christmas in her hometown, encouraging him to open his heart and be true to himself.
Boyfriends of Christmas Past
Leading up to Christmas, marketing executive, Lauren, is visited by the ghosts of four ex-boyfriends. She must learn to open her heart or risk losing her best friend, Nate.
Christmas In Harlem
After her grandmother, Mama Belle, turns away her usual gift delivery, expecting “presence over presents,” jet-setting executive Jazmin heads uptown to Harlem for a quick visit. However, when Mama Belle is injured, Jazmin agrees to stay in the neighborhood and take over co-chairing their block’s annual Christmas Jamboree with her old best friend Caleb.
All in all, these are just a few of your Hallmark holiday options. I highly encourage you to watch some reruns on Hallmark Channel, but also to tune in to this year’s countdown to Christmas, which features a lineup of 41 new movies. And this year’s films are more diverse than ever in the channel’s history. So snuggle up with a warm blanket and some hot cocoa, and enjoy some festive love stories. What better way to welcome a happy holiday season!