Every year, right after we clean up the kitchen after Thanksgiving dinner (which is usually eaten around mid-day, because in the south, we eat dinner in the middle of the day and supper in the evening), we sit down for a Christmas Vacation viewing party.
As soon as we watch Christmas Vacation as a whole family, we know it’s officially time for the Christmas season.
Throughout the next month, as we count down to Christmas Day, we watch a lot of movies. I’m very nostalgic, and have to watch all of my favorites. And there are too many where I can recite every word. Todd isn’t a fan of this, so I refrain, for his sake.
I can sing every word to “Sisters” and I want a family just like in The Family Stone someday. In my next life.
And now that Hudson is old enough to watch some of them, and Hayes is old enough to watch a very select few, it’s become a fun, family tradition. We’ll eat dinner and settle in with some popcorn, hot chocolate, some warm pajamas, and watch our favorites.
I’ve included my list of 25 days of Christmas movies here. They can obviously be watched in any order you want! Some nights, we’ll watch one with the boys right after supper, and sometimes Todd and I will stay up late watching one after we put the kids to bed, depending on how age-appropriate it is.
I’m proud (or maybe I should be ashamed) that we own all of these movies. I’m a Christmas movie junkie. Or just a movie junkie, in general.
(Almost all of the movies are available via Amazon Instant Video through Amazon Prime. I’ve linked to the movies for easy viewing.)
In the words of Kevin McAllister, “This is it. Don’t get scared now.”
25 Days of Christmas Movies
2. A Christmas Story (Full-Screen Edition)
4. Holiday Inn (Special Edition)
6. A Charlie Brown Christmas (Remastered Deluxe Edition)
7. Miracle on 34th Street (the original)
9. White Christmas (Anniversary Edition)
10.The Polar Express (Widescreen Edition)
11. Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas (Deluxe Edition)
12. Dr. Seuss’ How The Grinch Stole Christmas
15. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
16. Love Actually
17. The Family Man
19. The Family Stone
20. Prancer
22. Home Alone
23. Home Alone 2: Lost In New York
24. National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation
25. The Santa Clause
Okay, so what did I miss? Is your favorite on this list?
Lyndsey says
LOVE this list!!! I’m the same way about Christmas movies- gotta watch my favorites every year!!:) I also enjoy Smoky Mountain Christmas with Dolly Parton and Lee Majors. It was an 80s TV movie that became one of my favorites for nostalgia sake. For your boys, have you ever watched Disney’s Small One, it’s an animated short about the donkey Mary rode to Bethlehem and Jim Henson’s Christmas Toy, two of my childhood favorites! Now I’m ready to start watching holiday movies:) 🙂
Shay Shull says
We are too funny Erin. Too, too funny :). Happy Christmas Movie Day!
Blue-Eyed Bride says
I’m still cracking up! Why can’t we sit and watch these movies together?
Heather says
I am a movie junkie as well, and am most certainly a Christmas movie junkie 🙂 A few movies that I have to watch for Christmas that aren’t already listed are: Eloise at Christmastime, Santa Buddies, and I recently added Prep & Landing.
Blue-Eyed Bride says
My kids would LOVE Santa Buddies! Love it!
Brandi says
My all time favorite is A Muppet Family Christmas. The Muppet Show, Muppet Babies, Sesame Street and Fraggle Rock all together? Yes please. I searched high and low and finally found a DVD last year but until them was pulling out an old VCR to watch this 30 minute movie every Christmas!
I do love Prancer too…I’m so happy that’s on your list 🙂
Blue-Eyed Bride says
Hey Brandi! I need to let my kids watch the Muppet Family Christmas. Great idea!
Rachel G says
I’ve only seen 16 of these! Some family favorites I grew up with are “Jingle all the Way” and “I’ll be home for Christmas”
Cheryl L. says
Love the list….makes me remember a few I forgot…..Elf and The Grinch are my personal favs!!!!
Nicole says
Love all of these movies! My favorites are Elf, Love Actually…and of course all of the Home Alone movies. Cannot wait for some good, quality Christmas movie watching
Kari says
Great list! The Family Stone is one of my faves, love that crazy family!
Gracie says
What a marvelous list! It is such a fun time snuggling up in a blanket with a cup of hot chocolate watching A Charlie Brown Christmas! Or Rudolph! Or The Grinch! Ah! Too many fun choices! 🙂
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Rachel Gray says
I love The Family Stone – such a great one. I also really enjoy Christmas with the Kranks, it’s based on a novel by John Grisham. It’s certainly not the best movie ever made, but it reminds me SO MUCH of my family (slightly crazy!)!
Blue-Eyed Bride says
Rachel! I LOVED John Grisham’s Skipping Christmas and I laughed all the way through Christmas With the Kranks. Hilarious movie. Can’t believe I forgot about it!
Kendra Oswald says
Love this list.. a childhood favorite of mine is The Muppet Christmas Carol. I just love the music and I think my brother and I wore the VHS out from watching it constantly throughout the Christmas season!! I think I need to find it on DVD now! 🙂 🙂
Keisha Dawson says
What a great list! We started our Christmas movie watching last weekend with Christmas Vacation and Dennis the Menace Christmas. My little family enjoyed them so much. Hoping to fit many more into our schedule over the next several weeks!
The Life and Times of Me says
A Christmas Story (marathon), It’s A Wonderful Life, The Family Man, Holiday Inn, White Christmas, Scrooge, Home Alone, Christmas Vacation, Elf, How The Grinch Stole Christmas . . . the list goes on. Love Christmas movies!
Kristin says
Home Alone is my absolute favorite Christmas movie and is a Christmas Eve tradition at our house {though I tend to watch it a few times before then too}. In college my best guy friend and I would do 25 days of Christmas movies every year and we’d watch one a day. It was SO fun! Love this!
nicole j says
The Year Without a Santa Claus (Claymation)
candace says
Love all of these ESPECIALLY Christmas vacation!
Mindy says
My family’s favorite Christmas movie is JTT’s I’ll Be Home for Christmas. It has Jessica Beal and JTT from way back when. It’s really funny and we watch it every year as a family!
Carolyn says
From the 70’s, Christmas Eve on Sesame Street is a family favorite!
Courtney H. says
Erin–I completely agree. I can recite every word to Christmas Vacation AND Home Alone 🙂 One of my all-time favorites has got to be Holiday Inn, though. Love the firecracker scene. And I can’t help but watch It’s a Wonderful Life every time it’s on. I think I heard the Today Show say something about a sequel this morning?!? Also–have you checked out any of the Hallmark Channel’s endless supply of Christmas movies that literally started on November 1st? They’re completley predictable, but I love them 🙂
Kristin F. says
I absolutely LOVE The Family Stone! Ella was at home sick today and we watched Home Alone. It was her first viewing and she loved it ;).
April says
Love this list!! Thank you so much darling!! I also love that you know they are on Amazon’s instant videos! One movie that I must watch every Christmas (but that I wouldn’t expect that everyone does) is Little Women. For me that movie just fits so perfectly with other Christmas movies because the beginning of the movie starts out at Christmas and then they meet back up again around Christmas. I love to see how they did Christmas back that long ago.
Jill says
We love White Christmas, Miracle on 34th Street, Holiday Inn, It’s A Wonderful Life, Polar Express, Home Alone…pretty much every movie you mentioned! And we love the song “Sisters.” We sing that song often. Amelia chose it for her birthday CD mix that she handed out to friends. HAHA! One day, I’ll teach my girls the harmony to it (Lord, please let them be able to hear to carry a tune).
I love the Christmas season.
Jill says
Not sure why I typed “hear to carry a tune.” LOL!
PJ says
Every Christmas Eve my family watches “Muppet Christmas Carol”. We can all recite every single line from the movie and we still laugh at the same parts that we did when we were younger.
Also, I have to agree with “Love Actually” – it’s just not Christmas until I’ve watched it.
Steph says
I love this list. My favorite Christmas movie is a long lost stop motion from my childhood called “The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus” from 1985. My family also loves Santa Claus the Movie. Both are so magical and fun.
Whitney says
I love so many of these movies! One of my favorite holiday movies is The Night They Saved Christmas with Jaclyn Smith. It has finally been released on DVD this year in several different holiday DVD collections on Amazon. I am anxiously awaiting my copy.
KK in Dallas says
Walker and I had tears in our eyes when, after only one viewing, Hudson was heard singing “Hey Santa Clause” (from Christmas Vacation) at breakfast last Thanksgiving vacation. Officially, one of the family. Then, he was overheard saying, “Do you take a check?” (from Home Alone). Good fun! I like The Holiday .. We’ll add it to the list this year.
Michele Livingood says
Great list! Some of my favorites, that the boys may like too, are Christmas Eve on Sesame Street and also this cartoon called The Night Before Christmas which features this mouse family whose son did not believe in Santa Claus. Classics!
Rachel says
LOVE that Holiday Inn made your list! That’s a favorite that most people don’t know 🙂
Laurel says
So glad that you like The Family Stone, I always feel like I’m the only one! I love movies with big loud families that stick together through thick and thin (Dan in Real Life, The Family Stone, While You Were Sleeping).
Lily Kelley says
The Muppets Christmas Carol is my all time favorite! I love Christmas movies so this list is perfect for our family! Thanks!
Brittany says
I am so glad you have “All I Want for Christmas” on your list! That has always been one of mine and my sister’s favorite Christmas movies to watch! Most people don’t know about it!
Ells says
I love to watch “While You Were Sleeping” with some girlfriends or cousins and a plate of brownies … and have you ever noticed how many people fall down in that movie?!
Amanda says
Love love love this list! It’s A Wonderful Life gets me every time.
andie325 says
OMG I can’t believe NO ONE has mentioned Emmett Otter’s Jug Band CHristmas!!!!
That is our favorite. Every year, on the Friday after Thanksgiving, we put up our tree, light the fireplace, eat a big bowl of gumbo (made with leftover turkey!) and watch Emmett Otter! It was both Scott & I’s favorite Christmas movie when we were little kids… that and A Christmas Story!
I also love Christmas with the Kranks and Love Actually! Two of my faves!!!
Denise Ebersbach says
i love your list of Christmas movies! I love every one on your list. I too want a family someday like the one in The Family Stone!
I started watching Christmas movies last week on Lifetime and will be watching today as I put out my Christmas.
jenn v says
Love just about everything on this list although I’m not a huge fan of Jim Carey as The Grinch, I much prefer the cartoon. And for me, it’s just not the holiday season until I watch Little Women (the 90’s version). I know it’s not a traditional “Christmas” movie but I love it just the same.