Well, this sure was a fun post to put together! A better list of fun and festive, heartwarming and hilarious holiday flicks, I never did see.
I asked readers and followers on both Facebook and Instagram this week about their favorite Christmas movies. Y’all have excellent taste and named a bunch of great ones! We had a couple runaway winners, a couple movies from way out in left field, and lots of other solid suggestions.
(By the way, I gotta say I love Bruce Willis’ Santa hat. Don’t you?)
Our Top Three Favorites
Yes, friends. I made a list and checked it twice and these three movies are the A Welcome Grace readership’s very favorites of Christmas.
Coming in 3rd place with a total of 5 mentions is A Christmas Story! This is a Christmas Day must-watch at our house. You can pretty much always find it on a continuous loop on some cable channel or another. We suggest watching it in your jammies while drinking coffee and watching the kids play. A good alternative, of course, would be to nap your way through it come about 2:30 pm when you’ve hit the holiday wall.
Coming in 2nd place with 8 mentions is It’s a Wonderful Life! What can I say about a classic like this? I watched it every year as a kid and it’s even more amazing now as an adult with real worries. Living a life of hopes and dreams that haven’t quite come true makes George Bailey a little more relateable, you know? Capra, Stewart, Reed, and Barrymore did a good thing with this one.
And your 1st place movie with a whopping 12 mentions is…ELF!! Y’all, this makes me so happy! You guys truly are my people. This movie is absolute perfection in ridiculousness, Christmas cheer, and family fun. It is quite honestly the only Will Ferrell movie I can tolerate and it’s one of my all-time all-around faves. It makes my heart happy to know you love it, too.
And Now it’s Time for the Breakdown
I know lots of you like making/having lists. So, to help you out over the 12 days of Christmas (and the interminable winter break, if you’re a mom), I’ve broken our long list down into categories.
How many of these have you seen? Do you have a favorite category? See an area where you could grow in your experience of Christmas viewing? Here goes!
Real Classics
These are the movies our parents and grandparents would have watched. Good ol’ black and white or Technicolor gems that really stand the test of time and showcase some amazing talent. Now, there is a serious debate as to which of these first two movies are the best. All I can say is #teamRosemaryandVera all the way! And as far I’m concerned, when given the choice between one of these originals and any sort of remake? Always go with Maureen O’Hara and never some garbage from the 90s.
Holiday Inn
White Christmas
It’s a Wonderful Life
Meet Me in St. Louis
Miracle on 34th Street
The Bishop’s Wife
The Bells of St. Mary’s
New Classics
I like to call these “New Classics” for a couple reasons. First, most of them are movies I grew up watching and now enjoy with my kids. To me, that means they are here for the duration, cinematically speaking. Then, in the case of one, it’s made such an impact on my own Santa lovers that it’s easy to see my grandkids enjoying it with them someday! All of these movies, though, are sure to tickle your funny bone.
National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation
A Christmas Story
Elf
Home Alone
Family Movies
All these movies need for successful viewing is some popcorn, a plate of cookies, and some hot chocolate. Then sit back with the kids or a kid at heart, and enjoy!
The Muppet Christmas Carol
The Polar Express
The Santa Clause
How the Grinch Stole Christmas
Prancer
Date Night In
Whereas the last category was for the entire family, save these movies for just Mom and Dad. Get all the little ones snug in their beds and, as soon as the sugarplums start dancing in their heads, cue up one of these flicks and snuggle up. Let’s just say that I’ve seen and love and approve of two of these movies, but y’all have me scratching my head at the third. I bet you can guess which is which!
The Holiday
Love Actually
Die Hard
And our final category is….
Ummmm…I guess?
How and if either of these are Christmas movies is certainly up for debate, but since they were mentioned as favorites, I can’t leave them out. Let’s just say that if we were playing Christmas Movie Bingo, I’d let these be the free space.
When Harry Met Sally
The Family Man
So there you have it, friends! Twenty-three fantastic flicks to spread out over your holiday. Whether the snow and cold have got you pining for movies by the fire or your kids have gotten on your last nerve and are looking for something new to entertain them, I hope this list helps!
