I know I can be a little overzealous on the Christmas thing, but if you haven't put up your tree or had hot chocolate by now, you may need a little help. You can play music and do online shopping all day long, but until you kick back and watch a movie or two, it can be pretty hard to realize that the Christmas season is actually upon us. To help, I have compiled a list of the five best movies to watch to get your Christmas spirit up and running.

1. Elf

This is a favorite of mine, and Christmas couldn't start until my family had sat down with hot chocolate and popcorn to watch it. Everyone knows it is impossible to feel Grinchy when you are watching Will Ferrell run around New York in yellow tights.

2. The Polar Express

I have always felt that The Polar Express was a highly misunderstood film, and if you haven't yet seen it, you need to. The score to the movie is enough to send you into a wintry daze, and its message of believing in the unexplainable is exactly what Christmas is all about.

3. The Santa Clause

This one is an undeniable classic. Tim Allen plays a suburban dad that accidentally kills Santa Clause and is forced to take his place, and what could be more Christmasy than that?

4. The Grinch

Because there are few things more moving than a mean, old, ugly Grinch realizing the true meaning of Christmas.

5. Home Alone

Another classic, this one is about a little boy whose family goes on vacation and accidentally leaves him behind. While his family struggles to get back home, he takes full advantage of an empty house and absolutely no rules.

I know you may be caught up in Thanksgiving, and you're probably still eating turkey sandwiches that Grandma sent you home with. But even though it's November, I promise that if you watch these, you will be fa-la-laing with the rest of us.