The holiday season is upon us and it’s time to kick back with a great Christmas movie. The filmmaking tradition dates all the way back to the 1898 film, Santa Claus. The whole film is about two minutes and it became the first of many.

 From Home Alone to How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Christmas movies have come to represent many things to people over the years. If you want nostalgia or if you’re traditional, there are plenty of movies to enjoy. There’s horror like Black Christmas and Violent Night or comedy like Mistletones. No matter what you enjoy, Christmas movies have it all. Netflix has also made some great strides in the Kris Kringle department with movies like The Christmas Chronicles and Klaus.

One of the main reasons Christmas movies are so popular is because they are in high demand, even the bad ones. There are even channels that are known for their Christmas movies, such as the Hallmark Channel or The Great American Family channel. Each movie has its own charm.

If you want to watch an emotional family Christmas movie why not try watching Jack Frost or It’s a wonderful life? If you want more comedic, light-hearted family movies try watching Elf. Another iconic film is the Nightmare Before Christmas.

 Of course, you can’t forget The Santa Clause movie series which is extremely well known and personally one of my favorites. If you haven’t watched it are you even doing Christmas right? Speaking of Santa Clause, Disney+ just released a six-episode series of the Santa Clauses where Scott Calvin is about to celebrate his 65th birthday and realizes he can’t be Santa forever.

Speaking of holiday TV shows, another go-to would be Merry Happy Whatever which is a comedic show about how a strong-willed father navigates the stress of the holiday season when his daughter brings her new boyfriend home for Christmas. It shows the wholesome and crazy dynamic of family and features actors like Ashley Tisdale, Dennis Quaid and Bridget Mendler. Unfortunately, it only has one season, but I think it deserved more.

On a comedic crazy family note, movies like Pete’s Christmas and Holiday Joy show the struggles of being in a hectic family. If you want romance and action try watching Christmas Bounty with The Miz and Francia Raisa or Let It Snow. We can’t forget Holidate and Love Hard, two romance movies that may be suitable for older audiences, but still, show a good time.

Horror Christmas movies like Krampus and the upcoming Grinch parody, The Mean One, can bring in a lot of traction from those who like to sit on the edge of their seats. Other scary Christmas movies that might bring some joy to horror movie buffs would be Christmas Horror Story and Silent Night. 

There truly is something for everyone this holiday season, so snuggle up, get your hot cocoa ready and enjoy some of your favorite Christmas movies and shows.