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The Most Wonderful Time of the Year: 5 Christmas Movies You Should Watch This Holiday Season

This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at U Mass Amherst chapter.

My favorite time of the year is coming up – Christmas! Christmas has been my favorite holiday since I was a kid, and I’m looking forward to it now more than ever. I love the holiday season and everything that comes along with it, but one of my favorite parts of Christmas is Christmas movies! There’s nothing like watching a Christmas movie with my family or getting some hot chocolate and watching a movie by myself in bed. Here are my top five Christmas movies that you should watch this holiday season!

Santa Claus Is Comin’ To Town

This movie may be short, but it’s still one of my favorite Christmas movies of all time. Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town tells the origin story of Santa Claus through silly characters, singing, and classic stop motion animation. I’ve been watching this movie every Christmas since I was a little kid, so it definitely has the nostalgia factor for me, too. It always makes me feel festive and in the Christmas spirit. 10/10 recommend watching with a mug of hot chocolate during a snowstorm!

National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation

I think this movie might be the funniest one on this list. For the past few years, watching Clark Griswold try to create the perfect Christmas experience for his family in National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation has been a much anticipated part of my family’s Christmas Eve traditions. This movie is hysterical, with the classic Griswold family Christmas tree, Clark’s ambitious light display, and Uncle Eddie’s surprise visit topping my list of favorite scenes. Definitely add this movie to your “to watch” list this year!

White Christmas

This movie-musical is an oldie, but it’s still one of my favorites! Watching White Christmas with my mom and my sister will never get old. I particularly love the singing, dancing, and gorgeous costumes in this movie! The film follows performers Bob, Phil, Judy, and Betty as they travel to rural Vermont and decide to put on a huge Christmas show. Plus, the setting is an adorable inn decked out for Christmas, which is sure to get you in the Christmas spirit.

A Charlie Brown Christmas

For me, this list could never be complete without A Charlie Brown Christmas – it’s yet another movie I’ve been watching since I was a little kid. Poor Charlie Brown goes through all sorts of difficulties in directing his friends’ Christmas play, but everything turns out alright in the end when the kids truly get in the Christmas spirit. This movie is an absolute Christmas classic – my family even has a mini “Charlie Brown tree” at home!

The Santa Clause

The Santa Clause follows Scott Calvin and his son, Charlie, as Scott unwittingly assumes the role of Santa Claus after knocking Santa off his roof. I just watched this movie over Thanksgiving break, and I was reminded of how much I love it. I love the humor in this film – Scott’s hilarious Santa transformation, head-elf Bernard’s attitude, and stepdad Neal’s iconic sweaters are just a few things in this movie that are sure to make you laugh. Plus, this movie is the first one in a trilogy!

There you have it – five of my favorite Christmas movies that I will definitely be watching this year! I hope you were reminded of some of your old favorites, and maybe even found a new movie you want to watch. Either way, grab some cocoa and a blanket and get ready for a movie marathon! Happy watching :)

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Emily Day

U Mass Amherst '24

Emily is a senior at UMass Amherst majoring in Business Management and Communication and pursuing a minor in Spanish. In her free time, she can be found hanging out with friends, dancing on the UMass Tap Team, or reading a new book.