Sometimes the focus of the holidays veers so much toward gifts and decorating that it’s easy to lose sight of the true meaning of Christmas and the importance of connecting with family and friends. Watching Christmas movies as a family and taking part in our holiday traditions are two of my favorite things about the season. Today I’ve gathered together all of the best Christmas movies and new ideas for family traditions so you can make the most of your holidays too!
The Best Holiday Movies
I definitely have a short list of holiday movie favorites but I knew there were some I was probably missing out on so I asked on Instagram for everyone to pleas share their favorite holiday movies too! I’ve compiled everyone’s favorites into the list below so you can find a new movie or two to enjoy!
My list of reader faves:
Comedies: Christmas Vacation | Elf | Home Alone | Love Actually | The Family Stone | The Holiday
Classics: A Christmas Story | Christmas in Connecticut | Holiday Inn | It’s a Wonderful Life | Miracle on 34th Street | The Shop Around The Corner | White Christmas
Cheesy (my favorite!): Love Actually | Serendipity | Sleepless in Seattle | While You Were Sleeping | Anything on the Hallmark Channel 🙂
Kids/Family: A Charlie Brown Christmas | A Christmas Candle | Frosty The Snowman | How the Grinch Stole Christmas | One Magic Christmas | Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer | The Muppet Christmas Carol | The Polar Express | The Sound of Music
Did your favorite holiday movie make the list? If not, let me know in the comments so I can add it! (And for those of you with questions about things in my family room pic, you can find a full source list for that space {here}.
Favorite Holiday Traditions
I also asked my readers you to share a favorite holiday tradition and I had no idea how much I would love reading about them! I was truly inspired to start a few more holiday traditions of my own after reading them and will share those with you. But first, I’ll share one of my own… I gift each of my daughters a Christmas ornament every year that represents a special milestone in their lives or something they particularly loved that year. It started with their “baby’s first Christmas” ornaments:
and has continued on through this year when my I found the perfect ornaments to represent the crazy year that 2020 has been. I bought one of my daughters this covid gingerbread man found {here}:
I love that he has the year on the back:
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And I bought my other daughter the covid snowman found {here}:
It’s a tradition that my own mom started with me and my sister so I have a special ornament from every year beginning at birth and going all the way through 21 (plus a few beyond that!).
And I love all of the traditions that you have in your house too! This is just a small sampling of the many wonderful traditions that you all shared:
Karen: We have been collecting the name of our extended family on ornaments for the past 33 years. We have 30+ names on our tree! It truly is our family tree.
Mary: One of my favorite traditions is the White Elephant gift exchange with my gigantic family. You never know what is going to show up and it usually ends with people in hysterics. One year, someone brought a bust of Shakespeare! It was a hot item!
Lorelle: We started the Christmas Eve tradition of having crab legs and chocolate fondue for dinner the first Christmas we were married. Now, forty years, 3 kids, 3 kid in-laws, and one grandchild later we save up for the crab legs for a month and melt lots more chocolate!
Lisa: One of my favorite Christmas traditions is taking Christmas cards to a nearby rehab center and visiting with the residents who don’t have family living nearby. It’s the highlight of my December.
Kathryn: Our favorite Christmas tradition is everyone getting in their Christmas jammies and watching all of the old holiday shows (we have DVD’s!), like Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, Santa Claus is Coming to Town, etc. We start around 3p and end the night with Christmas Vacation. We plan dinner to be easy (pizza or a table full of appetizers) and we hang out all afternoon/night. Our girls are in college and still ask when we are planning Jammie Day. It’s the best night of the holiday season!
So many great ideas, right?! I hope you’re as inspired as I am to start up a new tradition for you and your family and encourage you to go back and read through all of the other fun traditions left as comments in {this post} because there are SO many other great ideas to steal!
XO,
Sydney Hall-Richards says
My favorite Christmas movie of all time is “the Muppett Christmas Carol”. It’s great for young and old and I’ve been watching it since it was released in the early 90’s. Hope someone else likes it too!
Kris Jarrett says
I can’t remember the last time I saw that – I’m going to revisit it this Christmas. Thanks for sharing!
Necolle Eimas says
Surviving Christmas is a great comedy for families with teens or older kids.
Kris Jarrett says
I’ve never heard of that one but I’ll definitely check it out! Thanks for sharing!
chantal says
Hello,
“The Sound of Music” is our family’s favourite movie for Christmas time, although, as my daughters pointed out, it’s not even about Christmas or the Holidays!
And it’s not just our family, since the movie is always featured on TV during the Holidays (in Montreal, Quebec).
Most of all, watching movies as a family is what counts, whatever the movie is!
Kris Jarrett says
Chantel, you’re so right and I LOVE The Sound of Music!!
Joanna says
My favourite movie is the Grinch. I never feel quite like Christmas until I hear the Whos singing around their Town tree.
Kris Jarrett says
I agree Joanna – I make sure I see that one every year!
Rosanne Toro says
Just watched a beautiful movie that is now my favorite….A Christmas Candle by Max Lucado.
Kris Jarrett says
I’ve never heard of that one but I’m going to check it out! Thanks!
Kelley Nan says
Kris, this is just what I needed to keep the festive Christmas spirit going! Would you believe I have seen every movie from all categories EXCEPT the classics? I haven’t see a single one of those- don’t tell! haha And your tree turned out killer! (thank you so much for including me). And those are some awesome traditions- the tree ornaments still get me!
Kris Jarrett says
Would you believe I haven’t either?! Ha! #twopeas
Kelley Nan says
OH! And SERENDIPITY!
Karen B. says
Kris,
I will definitely book mark this tutorial from Kelly on how to add ribbon to the tree! Our family always watches Love Actually and Muppet Christmas (for the grown ups as well as the grand kids)! I’m headed to your shop page. I’m nearly finished with my shopping but could use a few small gifts for the family members.
Lucky you to be enjoying some snow. We’re still pretty warm, although the nights have been lovely and cool.
xo,
Karen
Kris Jarrett says
Karen those are two of my favorites too! Hope you’re enjoying the holiday season!
Celeste says
“Christmas with the Kranks” is so funny. The “botox” scene is one of the funniest to me.
Kris Jarrett says
I’ve never seen that one! I need to watch it this year!
Kerri Hansen says
Two of my favorites that I didn’t see on your list are 1.the iconic “A Christmas Story” and also “Four Christmases” with Vince Vaghaun and Reese Witherspoon. We were also pleasantly surprised by “Office Christmas Party” with Jason Bateman.
I love watching Christmas movies!
Kris Jarrett says
Thank you so much! I haven’t seen a few of those yet!