The holiday season is here! Christmas is beloved by many and is one of the biggest celebrations of the year. Christmas should be a time to be surrounded by loved ones, play in the snow, snuggle up by a roaring fire, decorate a Christmas tree with glittering ornaments, open up presents, and so on. In this article, I will be listing my personal top 10 Christmas movies to watch that I think really capture the holiday season. I apologize I could not make this a top 10 holiday movies list, as I realize not everyone celebrates Christmas, but I was unable to find any well known Hanukkah or Kwanzaa movies. If you know of any please let me know in the comments below! Without further ado, here we go!

1. The Year Without a Santa Claus

(Photo credit: Google Play)

I don’t know about you guys, but this is an absolute must watch in my household when Christmas rolls around. I remember watching this movie with my brother on Christmas eve and singing along to all of the songs. My personal favorites would have to be the Snow Miser and the Heat Miser songs. I loved these stop motion Christmas movies as a kid, and I still do now. In my opinion, this is a Christmas classic!

2. How the Grinch Stole Christmas!

(Photo credit: Save the Cat!)

Yet another childhood favorite! Nothing against the Jim Carrey, but this is the version I grew up with. If I’m being honest, the live action version freaked me out as a kid. This movie is one of Dr. Seuss’ best stories. This is a great sweet and simple Christmas movie to excite people of all ages.

3. Elf

(Photo credit: The Athena Cinema)

This Christmas movie is absolutely hilarious and heartwarming. Will Ferrell portrays a lovable man child who believes in the power of Christmas and all he wants for Christmas is to meet his biological dad. I always crack up at Buddy’s excitement over Santa and I think everyone can find a little bit of the Christmas spirit in this movie

4. A Charlie Brown Christmas

(Photo credit: Bustle)

It wouldn’t be the holidays without at least one special with Charlie Brown and the rest of the Peanuts gang. Charlie Brown tries to get into the Christmas spirit by directing the Christmas play, but is ridiculed for wanting to use such a small and unimpressive tree for the Christmas tree. Snoopy’s antics never fail to put a smile on my face and I always find myself relating to Charlie Brown.

5. A Christmas Story

(Photo credit: Alamo Drafthouse)

This is another favorite from my childhood. Every kid who has ever wished for one present with all their being for Christmas can surely relate to this film. All Ralphie wants for Christmas is a Red Ryder air rifle and he goes through a series of trials and tribulations to ensure that he gets this gift. I loved seeing Ralphie’s brother all bundled up, I hated the grumpy Santa Claus for pushing Ralphie down the slide, I felt bad for laughing at the kid who got his tongue stuck to a pole, I cheered for Ralphie when he beat up his bully, and I just love this movie.

6. The Polar Express

(Photo credit: NPR)

I once asked Santa for a ticket for the Polar Express, that’s how obsessed I was with this movie. This movie takes you on a thrilling train ride with awesome and heartwarming songs, hot chocolate, and of course Tom Hanks. The animation is scarily realistic and I vividly remember the scene when the train went off the rails and I felt like I was on a roller coaster. This film is a great movie for anyone who has ever believed in Santa Claus and needs to relive the thrill of Christmas day.

7. Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer

(Photo credit: TV Guide)

This is truly an iconic Christmas movie for all ages. I was obsessed with Rudolph and would carry a plush animal of him with me everywhere I went. This movie has a memorable soundtrack, including my personal favorite, The Island of Misfit Toys. Rudolph is a Christmas icon and this movie does his story justice.

8. Home Alone

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Home Alone is every child’s worst nightmare/dream come true. Kevin McCallister is left all alone at home when two burglars break into his house. Kevin outsmarts them with all sorts of booby traps and his antics provide laughs for the whole family.

9. The Santa Clause

(Photo credit: YouTube)

When Scott accidentally kills Santa Claus, he has to take his place. This movie is absolutely hilarious and there are even some heartwarming moments between Scott and his son. Tim Allen is what really makes this movie. While there were numerous sequels to follow, this movie was the one that started it all.

10. Rise of the Guardians

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This movie is so low on the list only because it’s not quite a Christmas movie per say, but Santa is in it and it’s just too good of a movie to leave out. With the voice talents of Chris Pine (Jack Frost), Alec Baldwin (North), and Hugh Jackman (Bunnymund), this movie has an all star cast and a great plot. The most iconic legends for children must come together to protect the imaginations of kids all over the world. This film is visually stunning and has a little something for both kids and adults.
That was my list and thanks for reading! Please comment down below if I left out any of your favorites. Happy Holidays!