Every year my husband and I watch a series of what we deem “holiday” movies. We usually start these in late November and watch them at least once until Christmas Eve. To us, these are the best holiday movies to watch – partly because we love them, but also because they’re good movies and hold up year after year!

So pop some popcorn, grab a bottle of bubbles or a cup of tea and settle in!

Home Alone

Home Alone was released when I was six years old so it’s been a favourite movie of mine (literally) since I was a kid. There aren’t many holiday holiday movies that I can say that I’ve watched for my whole life but this one is just as funny as the first time I saw it as a kid! Full of hilarious scenes, more memorable lines than I can share in this post alongside a heartwarming story, if you haven’t seen Home Alone by now, you must! I can’t wait until my kiddos are older and will want to watch it with us!

Elf

Elf is a feel-good movie for the whole family. I was so excited for this “new” holiday movie that I even saw it in the theatre when it was released. No matter how many times I’ve seen this movie or how many of the lines I can recite from memory, it doesn’t get old. Will Farrell is so endearing and hilarious as Buddy the Elf and the contrast of James Caan is the perfect compliment. This movie brought an all-star cast and is sure to be considered a classic soon.

The Holiday

The Holiday is a feel good movie that I love to watch every Christmas, but also if I’m feeling a little under the weather. It’s like a snuggly blanket to curl up in. The story is incredibly heartwarming and offers a lot of hope and a little inspiration and it’s cast so well! This is a must-watch at any time of year.

Love, Actually

I love Love, Actually. I don’t know if it’s the romance of England or Hugh Grant dancing to the Pointer Sisters, but there’s something about the realism that this film captures, how intertwined all of the stories are and the truth it shares about what love actually looks like that makes me rewatch this every Christmas season (and maybe a time or two in between).

The Family Man

The Family Man is one of those lesser-thought of holiday movies. Nicholas Cage and Téa Leoni have great chemistry in this really heartwarming story. I love how it makes us all reflect on life choices and what could have been and what still could be. This one is definitely worth a watch.

The Muppet Christmas Carol

There have been so many iterations of this story but this is my fave. Ebenezer Scrooge is played by Michael Caine and the majority of other characters are played by, you guessed it, The Muppets! I feel like the comedy of The Muppets crew helps to make this holiday story a little more bearable and fun to watch for the whole family. The Muppet Christmas Carol is another one that came out when I was a kid (I think I was 8?) so being the target audience of its release has made it a part of my holiday traditions.

White Christmas

Irving Berlin’s White Christmas is a straight up classic. It’s one that I not only love to watch each year, but I love listening to the soundtrack. Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye and Rosemary Clooney shine bright in this holiday classic. I will admit, it’s a long one, so if you’re watching it for the 50th time (like me!), why not have it on in the background while you trim the tree!

The Classic TV Specials

Remember when the local paper would print when all of the holiday specials would air? Now they’re almost all available on demand. My fave short made-for-tv holiday specials are: A Charlie Brown Christmas, Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, Frosty the Snowman and How The Grinch Stole Christmas. I can’t resist the original animation, Snoopy ice skating, and Thurl Ravenscroft’s narration and singing over the Dr.Seuss classic.

I know many would include black and white holiday classics like It’s a Wonderful Life and Miracle on 34th Street here, but they have just never really been my jam. If you haven’t seen them, though, they’re worth watching at least once.

Die Hard

So, the jury is out on whether or not Die Hard is a holiday movie but it does take place on Christmas Eve so that counts right? I’m including it because it’s always fun to watch no matter what side of the argument you fall on!

Happy Movie Watching!!!