Start a Holiday Tradition with Christmas Movies

My husband works erratic hours, so our kids especially look forward to evenings where we can sit down together and watch a family movie.  There are so many great holiday movies, that I try to fit in as many family movie nights as I can during the season.  Even though my boys are young, they look forward to watching the same movies this time of year, and are excited when we add a new one to the mix.

No holiday is complete without watching the The Original Christmas Classics (Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer/Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town/Frosty the Snowman/Frosty Returns/Mr. Magoo’s Christmas Carol/Little Drummer Boy/Cricket on the Hearth). I have fond memories of watching these shows on TV when I was small, and enjoy sharing these shows with my kids now.

I couldn’t believe it, but my husband had never seen It’s a Wonderful Life before we watched it together during our first Christmas. I know the movie is sappy, but I love it and don’t feel like Christmas has been celebrated if I don’t watch it at least once between Thanksgiving and New Years!

A modern classic is Chevy Chase in National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation . This is one of my husband’s favorite movies, as well as my dad’s. My kids seem amazed at the scene with the squirrel in the tree every year!  This movie is good for lots of laughs.

And, while TBS regularly runs A Christmas Story non-stop on Christmas, it might still be nice to own a copy of the dvd. This is my kids’ least favorite Christmas movie, but I know that many people love this movie (their aunt is the first one to come to mind.)

My youngest loves the Muppets and giggled through It’s a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie this year. It’s definitely for the younger crowd, but still worth adding to a collection.

For my mom, it’s not Christmas if she hasn’t watched some version of A Christmas Carol. Everyone seems to know the story, but that doesn’t make it any less powerful.

When I can, I try to add a new movie to our collection each year.  I think a nice family gift would be a Christmas / holiday movie, along with a box of microwave popcorn and some boxes of movie theatre candy.  You could even start a tradition in another family!

There are so many movies out there, that I could probably list them all night. What are YOUR favorite Christmas-time movies? Leave a comment and let us know!

Melanie Rogers is a wife and homeschooling mom of 3 children. She enjoys helping other busy moms find great products to delight their families and make their lives easier. She's always on the lookout for a great bargain, too! You can also find Melanie blogging frequently at My Little Patch of Sunshine.