Best Christmas Movies: Muppets, Home Alone and More

I have a confession to make: I am a full-on Christmas FREAK! I love everything about Christmas. I love buying gifts, receiving gifts, cooking, baking, decorating, listening to Christmas music, and I especially love to watch Christmas movies. There are so many movies to choose from, especially since they seem to come out with at least a couple new Christmas movies each year. So what Christmas movies do I watch immediately after Thanksgiving to help me get in the Christmas spirit? Here are my top 5 Christmas movies:

Starting with #5...

5. Elf
We watch this Christmas movie year-round in the breakroom at work. I love anything Will Pherrel, and the combination of him and Christmas is almost too much for me to handle. Men in tights and the excessive excitement of Will's character are just two of the several reasons that I love this movie. When I first saw this movie I was definitely reminded of some of the Christmas movies that came out when I was a kid (i.e. Santa Claus starting Tim Allen) which only furthered its ability to take me back to that childhood excitement over Christmas.

4. The Muppet's A Christmas Carol
I grew up with The Muppet Show, Fraggle Rock, and Sesame Street, so of course a Jim Henson Christmas movie had to be on my list. I love this movie because it brings together my favorite holiday and my favorite characters that I grew up with. Spending Christmas with Kermit and MIss Piggy is like spending it with another part of my family.

3. Home Alone 2
I love the scene where Kevin shows the "Sticky Bandits" the photos that he has of them robbing the toy store and they ask him to throw them down. It's hard to forget how Marv takes several bricks to the head as Harry manages to keep from getting hit. I love all the traps that Kevin sets for these dopey robbers and how Kevin's family goes from being, what seems to be, the least understanding family to the most loving family. Besides, I always find myself wondering, how can they let it happen again?

2. Home Alone
I love this movie for many of the same reasons that I love the second one, but I think the first in a series is usually the best. My favorite part of this movie is when he first realizes that there is no one there to tell him what or what not to do. Who can forget him screaming after an application of after shave? And jumping on the bed without getting yelled at it every kids dream.

1. The Grinch Who Stole Christmas
I'm not talking about the Jim Carrey version of the Grinch. I love the original, Dr. Suess, animated Christmas movie that they played on TV every year when I was a kid. I always looked forward to the night when that movie would be on TV because I was allowed to stay up past my bedtime to watch it with my mom and dad. I actually own the cartoon version of the Grinch on DVD just that I am sure that I get the chance to watch it every year, even if I miss it on TV.