Don’t have much to do over winter break? If this is you, grab a friend and some popcorn and take a look at these iconic Christmas movies to binge over break.
10. “Mickey’s Christmas Carol””
If your two favorite things in the world are Disney and Charles Dickens novels, then this movie is the one for you. This cartoon is an adaptation of Dickens’s 1843 novella, “A Christmas Carol,” with Mickey-Mouse characters representing characters from the original story.
Scrooge McDuck (Ebenezer Scrooge) is a greedy miser who despises the holiday season. He declines his nephew’s (Donald Duck) invitation to Christmas dinner and docks pay from his employee Bob Cratchitt (Mickey Mouse) when he requests to have Christmas off. However, on the night before Christmas he is visited by the Ghost of Christmas Past (Jiminy Cricket), the Ghost of Christmas Present (Willie the Giant), and the Ghost of Christmas Future, causing him to reconsider and amend his actions.
9. “Frosty the Snowman”
This 1969 movie is a fun, fantastical adventure. After a group of school students place a magical top hat on a snowman, Frosty the Snowman comes to life. Frosty begins to melt from warm temperatures, so the kids get Frosty to the North Pole where it is colder. Unfortunately, Frosty melts into a puddle, but Santa tells them that he’s made up of magical Christmas snow and will return every winter.
8. “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer”
Although there are plenty of movies out there about Santa’s red-nosed reindeer, Rudolph, I think the 1964 stop-motion animation is the best one. After Rudolph is born and his parents discover that he has a glowing red nose, they hide it. However, while learning to fly for the first time, his fake nose flies off, and the other reindeer make fun of him while Coach Comet exiles him.
Rudolph spends some time on the Island of Misfit Toys, but eventually returns home to save Christmas by lighting the way with his nose for Santa during a heavy storm. I personally love this story because it teaches the deeper meaning of Rudolph coming to love himself and his red nose despite the ridicule of the other reindeers.
7. “The Nightmare Before Christmas”
Now I know there’s some debate regarding whether “The Nightmare Before Christmas” is a Halloween or Christmas movie, but since “Christmas” is literally in the title, I’m going to go ahead and call it a Christmas movie.This is a stop-motion animated film that presents Jack Skellington, the King of Halloween Town, who finds Christmas Town and plans to take over the holiday.
Jack kidnaps Santa, telling him that he’ll take care of Christmas this year, and orders his town to “make Christmas.” However, his plan goes disastrously wrong when the inhabitants of the real world are terrified of his presents and order a lockdown. Jack realizes his mistake, prompting him to save Christmas instead.
6. “A Charlie Brown Christmas”
Not feeling the holiday-spirit this year? Well, you’re not alone. Charlie Brown also feels a bit depressed during the holiday season despite all the lights and presents. In this Charlie Brown Christmas special, Charlie Brown joins the annual Christmas play to get back in the holiday spirit. After some ups and downs, Charlie Brown eventually comes to the conclusion that he does not need to let commercialization ruin Christmas, which is represented by the simplicity of the tree he chooses for the play.
5. “Ice-Age: A Christmas Special”
If you’re running short on time, this 26-minute Christmas-themed Ice Age film, which takes place a couple years after the events of Ice-Age 3, is the perfect choice. In this special, Sid the Sloth travels to the North Pole to get himself off the Naughty List, along with Peaches, Crash, and Eddie. Scrat (the infamous squirrel who loves acorns) is also featured in this movie with a parallel plot of trying to acquire himself an acorn. Watch the film to see if he’s successful…
4. “The Polar Express”
The popular “Polar Express” is an all-time favorite Christmas movie of mine and perfect for experiencing some childhood nostalgia. The movie follows the journey of a boy who doubts Santa Claus, but after boarding the namesake train and traveling to the North Pole, he begins to believe again. However, there are many bumps and setbacks on his journey to meet Santa Claus, including a scary encounter with an Ebenezer Scrooge puppet. So be on the lookout for that if you decide to watch or re-watch this movie.
3. “Home Alone”
This is peak Christmas-comedy and perfect for a good laugh to relieve any lingering stress from the school-week. The movie starts out in the suburbs of Chicago in the home of the McCallisister’s, who are planning to spend Christmas in Paris. However, amidst the chaos and confusion during a storm, they leave their youngest, Kevin, behind. Kevin is initially elated with his newfound freedom, but soon his house is targeted by robbers, so he sets numerous booby traps around his house to stave off their attacks.
2. “Elf”
“Elf” is another hilarious holiday movie that teaches us the importance of doing what you love and making time for family during the holiday season. The story features a human named Buddy who is raised by elves on the North Pole and believes to be one himself. However, when he overhears Santa and the other elves saying that he is actually a human, he travels to New York City to meet his biological parents and to get his father off the Naughty List. Although his father is distrustful of him at first, Buddy manages to win him over and spread Christmas spirit back to New York’s inhabitants.
1. “How the Grinch Stole Christmas”
Although “Elf” is a great movie, Jim Carrey’s “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” has got to be the best Christmas movie of all time. Not only is it captivating, funny, and cheerful, it reminds us of the real purpose of the holiday seasons: to spend time with those we love. However, this is rather difficult for the Grinch, who is shunned by the inhabitants of Whoville and lives in seclusion on Mt. Crumpit. Because of his neglect during Christmas as a child and being bullied by the Whos, he plans to seek revenge by “stealing” Christmas from them. However, one tiny Who, Cindy-Lou, saves the day by befriending the Grinch and taking him back to Whoville.
