Christmas is my favorite time of year, so the fact that channels like ABC Family and others play Christmas movies for the entire month leading up to Christmas makes my love and anticipation to the actual day even greater. And while I'll watch nearly any Christmas movie, there are 10 I have to watch every year.
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1. Elf - Thankfully, this has become a holiday standard because I've loved it since it came out, and it's made me realize it's okay to be obsessed with Christmas and the spirit of Santa as an adult. And c'mon, you can't hate Will Ferrell as Buddy the Elf; I believe he can make anything better.
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2. A Christmas Story - Praise baby Jesus TBS plays this for 24 hours on Christmas Eve, because it will never get old, just like that bunny costume, or Ralphie getting his tongue stuck on the pole. And that leg lamp, classic.
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3. National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation - The scene when they're trying to turn on the lights outside is enough of a reason to watch this movie. And need I mention Clark's monolog when he receives the "Jelly of the Month" certificate instead of a Christmas bonus? "Real nice, Clark."
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4. How the Grinch Stole Christmas - The original is the best to me, so I can't live if I haven't seen it each Christmas. I can't get enough of the Who's and Little Cindy Loo Who, and I sing along with the Whos when they sing hand in hand around the Christmas tree. It's second nature at this point.
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5. The Home Alone movies - Everyone can relate to Kevin, the boy who is repeatedly left behind each Christmas, and Macaulay Culkin's signature face from the first movie is iconic.
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6. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer - Burl Ives as a snowman gives me life, as does the Abominable Snowman putting the star on the tree.
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7. Olive the Other Reindeer - This is an overlooked animated Christmas movie based on a children's book, but I love the little dog, Olive, that travels to the North Pole to become a reindeer and help Santa pull his sleigh. And Martini, the sketchy penguin who sells fake designer watches, is comedic gold, as is most of this movie in my opinion.
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8. The Holiday - This I can watch all year round, but it gives me the warm fuzzies the most at Christmas time. Amanda and Iris are completely relatable in different ways, and the way their stories overlap is so great. Also, Jude Law is almost too much to handle, especially in those glasses.
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9. A Charlie Brown Christmas - I love every Charlie Brown special, but this one will forever hold a place in my heart. especially because Linus's speech hits home on the real meaning of Christmas.
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10. It's A Wonderful Life - Another one that hits on the true meaning of Christmas, and one that will always be a classic, no matter what age you are. And the way that sweet girl says, "Every time a bell rings, an angel gets its wings," gets me every time.
An honorable mention is awarded to the Saturday Night Live Christmas Special, mainly because it isn't a movie. More importantly, Will Ferrell singing Christmas carols as different characters, the "Seasons Eatings" sketch with Alec Baldwin, and the Hanukkah song from Adam Sandler are holiday classics in their own respect. And there are plenty of other Christmas movies that I enjoy watching with my family every year, but these are the ones I just can't miss.
