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The Best Christmas Movies (and When to Watch Them)

This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at St Vincent chapter.

 

It’s the most wonderful time of the year! After rushing to get the sales and shop for your relatives, you’ll need some time to relax and get into the Christmas spirit. Here is a list of my top 10 favorite Christmas movies and the best time to watch them!

 

Elf

In this hilarious classic, Buddy the Elf goes to the Big Apple in search of his father. Buddy’s shenanigans and Christmas spirit will make you smile and laugh the whole way through. 

When to Watch: When you’re looking for a laugh

 

 

The Polar Express

A cute cartoon classic where Tom Hanks voices 12 characters! A young boy who doesn’t believe in Santa takes a trip to the North Pole to discover the truth. This movie has a great story line that teaches you that “seeing is believing.” 

When to Watch: When you’re running low on Christmas spirit

 

 

Dr. Seuss’s How the Grinch Stole Christmas

Jim Carrey, need I say more? The town of Whoville is getting ready to celebrate their favorite time of the year, Christmas, when they get a visit from The Grinch who is out to destroy it all. 

When to Watch: When you’re looking for a classic with a twist 

 

 

Home Alone

When Kevin McCallister is left home alone on Christmas Eve by accident, he goes to extreme lengths to protect his home from burglars. Kevin’s burglar trips will have you laughing out loud.

When to Watch: When you want to laugh until you cry

 

 

The Santa Clause

Tim Allen plays a Scott Calvin, a father who accidentally kills Santa Clause and magically becomes him. Scott Calvin spends the next few months trying to figure out his new job as the “Big Man in Red.”

When to Watch: When you think you have it rough making a good Christmas 

 

 

The Nightmare Before Christmas

There has to be a Disney movie on the list! Jack Skellington, the Pumpkin King, stumbles upon a strange town where he begins to obsess over Christmas and tries to create his own in Halloweentown.

When to Watch: When you’re transitioning into the Christmas holiday 

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (1964)

A Christmas classic  (always aired on 25 Days of Christmas.) We all know the song, we all now the Reindeer himself, but do you know how he came to be? This stop-motion animation will become one of your favorites. 

When to Watch It: When it’s time for a true classic

 

A Christmas Story

A favorite for most. I mean, it’s on for 24 hours on TBS. All Ralphie wants for Christmas is a “Red Ryder Air Rifle” but everybody tells him it’s a bad idea. Ralphie struggles to make it to Christmas with all of the troubles in his life. 

When to Watch: When you’re looking for a movie that you can quote forever

A Christmas Carol

Jim Carrey’s second appearance on this list with Disney’s adaption of a Charles Dickens classic. Ebenezer Scrooge hates Christmas and is visited by three ghosts to show him his own Christmas in the past, present, and future.

When to Watch: When you’re feeling a little Scrooge-ish yourself

Christmas with the Kranks 

Tim Allen and Jamie Lee Curtis star as Luther and Nora Krank in this holiday hiatus. After their daughter moves away, Luther and Nora decide to skip Christmas and spend an island holiday. With a Christmas obsessed neighborhood on their back, Nora and Luther find themselves as the hated couple in their town.  

When to Watch: When you’re not feeling like Christmas at all

 

 

 

Now grab some hot chocolate, cuddle up with a fuzzy blanket, and turn on one of this holiday flicks. Happy Holidays! 

Kolony Miller is a sophomore at St. Vincent College. She is an English Major and Secondary Education Minor. Kolony enjoys Cheerleading for the Bearcats with her newfound family. She has always loved to write and took Journalism classes at Greater Latrobe Senior High School where she became Assistant Editor-In-Chief of the student newspaper, The High Post. Kolony hopes to continue her writing career and maybe one day join the Buzzfeed Team.
Juli Cehula

St Vincent '18

Hello there! I am the Campus Correspondent of the Her Campus chapter at Saint Vincent College. As a senior psychology major, I've made the most of my time in undergrad and am excited for all the doors I have opening ahead of me. I can definitely thank Her Campus for giving me invaluable skills. As a future psychologist, I hope that my articles (and the chapter's) are able to make you feel empowered, motivate you to start a conversation, and be kind. As a hero of mine has said, "If you do not take control over your time and your life, other people will gobble it up. If you don't prioritize yourself, you constantly start falling lower and lower on your list."- Michelle Obama. Be the change you want to see in the world, and smile. Always smile!