As the holidays approach, there are many things you can do to get in the spirit. My favorite is watching movies.
Holiday movies feel warm and festive. Around this time, all the movies feel good and have happy endings.
Here are some of my favorite holiday movies to get you in the spirit or make you feel better after a long day.
Starting off, I love to watch “The Holiday” with Cameron Diaz, Kate Winslet, Jude Law and Jack Black. It is a cute romantic comedy about two women who switch homes over the holiday.
It has a great love story and watching the women grow through their tough times individually is inspiring. It is not overly Christmas-y, so it is a good movie to watch early in the season.
There are so many classic holiday movies that I love to watch with my family. The “Santa Claus” movie series is a must-watch every season for my family.
We always watch the first “Santa Claus” movie while decorating the Christmas tree. I don’t know how this tradition started, but it is a staple in my home and always brings me joy.
You have to watch “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation and Elf.” These are staples for Christmas movies — they will always come up if you search for holiday movies to watch.
“The Year Without A Santa Claus” is one of my favorite older Christmas movies. It is stop animation and one I watch with my sister every year.
We typically watch all the stop animation ones, like “Santa Claus is Coming to Town” or “Rudolph,” which are all classics that should be high on the watch list. They will make you feel nostalgic and put you in a festive mood.
Back to more modern holiday movies, Netflix released “Falling for Christmas” with Lindsey Lohan. It was cute and a bit cheesy, but sometimes that’s the best. It is a romantic comedy set at Christmas time, making you feel good.
Speaking of Netflix Christmas content, their limited series “Dash & Lily” is one of my all-time favorite Christmas shows. I have watched it every year since it was released. It is a short series about two teenagers who communicate through a journal left in a bookstore.
It is sweet and innocent and has many aspects of Christmas, including the activities surrounding it. It should be on your list if you haven’t already seen it.
This might be an unpopular one, but I love “The Polar Express.” My mom would always read that book to us and made a whole movie night out of watching it. She would do it with hot chocolate and sweets, making the living room cozy.
We still keep that same tradition every year, and it is one of my favorite nights of holiday break.
“Christmas With The Kranks” is another great holiday movie. With Jamie Lee Curtis and Tim Allen, this movie is heartwarming and funny. It is easy to watch and would be great with any audience.
“The story of A Christmas Carol” is always in the rotation for my family. We usually watch the Disney one with Jim Carrey. It is a classic and something I grew up watching — we would always visit Dickens Village at the Macy’s in Philadelphia.
My mom enjoys the 1938 version of “A Christmas Carol.” She watches it every year on Christmas Eve while she wraps presents. I have never watched it, but she said she grew up watching that version, so she sticks with it.
My all-time favorite Christmas movie is “White Christmas.” The singing and dancing, the era in which it is from. Everything is cute and it gives a nostalgic feeling. It is a great movie and will put you in the Christmas mood.
Hopefully, this list gave some ideas or reminded you about a movie you haven’t seen in a while!