Best Christmas Movies

There are some movies you just have to watch at Christmas time! My family and I check the TV schedules and make note of when our favorite holiday shows are coming on! The following are five favorite Christmas holiday movies that I recommend everyone watch year after year.

(1) National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation

What a family! The Griswolds are one funny group of people. Let's start with Clark and his decorations. He goes all out - I mean throwing lights and decorations on every square inch of his house! For the Holidays, both Clark's and his wife's parents as well as Clark's aunt and uncle come to town to visit and stay with them. Then, cousin Eddie shows up unannounced in his nasty RV with his wife, two kids, and big slobbering dog. As Clark tries his best to make this Christmas perfect for all, he discovers he won't be getting that work bonus he was expecting. Between all the family crammed into their house, a dried-out turkey, gift-wrapped cat, and Eddie kidnapping Clark's boss, the Griswold's Christmas can't get any worse or problematic.

(2) How the Grinch Stole Christmas

I enjoy the original cartoon show, but this 2000-release movie featuring Jim Carey is just so good! It follows Dr. Seuss's tale of how the grinch stole Christmas from the town of Whoville, only to find his heart afterwards and give the toys, decorations, lights, and gifts back to the town. This movie is full of humor, color, amazing designs for characters noses, clothing, and hair, and awesome graphics, and unique auto and house designs.

(3) Miracle on 34th Street

This black and white movie will never get old! I enjoy watching it every Christmas Eve when it comes on TV. It's a movie about Susan Walker, a little girl who does not believe in Santa. She meets Kris Kringle who is playing the store Santa at Macy's Department Store. Kris tries to convince Susan and the rest of her family and the world for that matter that he really is Santa Claus.

(4) A Christmas Story

"You'll shoot your eye out, kid!" I use this line from the movie quite a lot throughout the year. Ralphie is a young boy who wants a Red Ryder BB Gun for Christmas - nothing else. But everyone keeps telling him he'll shoot his eye out. From his Dad's leg lamp in the front window to one of Ralphie's friends getting his tongue stuck to a pole, this movie is hilarious and definitely a classic that you should watch each Christmas.

(5) Elf

Elf, staring Will Ferrell, is a great holiday movie to watch together as a family. Buddy, who was raised by elves at the North Pole, returns to NYC to meet his real dad. Buddy tries to convince Walter Hobbs that he is his dad. Feeling bad for Buddy, he takes him into his home and lets him stay until he gets things figured out. Buddy wears his Elf suit the entire time, eats candy on top of his spaghetti, and magically decorates a department store where Santa is working (who he thinks is the same Santa from the North Pole where he lived). Elf is really funny and will keep your kids entertained and laughing.