I used to be a bit of a Scrooge who just thought of Christmas as a somewhat enjoyable day between two superior holidays, Halloween and New Year’s Eve.

As the years have passed, though, Christmas has become my favorite holiday. I love that it falls early enough in winter that us Michiganders aren’t quite tired of snow yet. I love the lights, the scents, the hot drinks, the layers of bundled clothing. And equally as much as all of that, I love the movies!

There are certain staples that have been watched in my family every year in December, for practically my entire life. There are also plenty of great holiday films I’ve discovered in more recent years, either as they were released or as new-to-me classic discoveries. Here are the Christmas films that have made their way into my DVD collection (so far)!

  • Beyond Tomorrow (1940)
  • The Bishop’s Wife (1947)
  • A Christmas Carol (1938)
  • Christmas in Connecticut (1945)
  • A Christmas Story (1983)
  • Christmas Vacation (1989)
  • Elf (2003)
  • The Family Man (2000)
  • The Family Stone (2005)
  • Four Christmases (2008)
  • The Great Rupert (1950)
  • The Holiday (2006)
  • Holiday Affair (1949)
  • It Happened on Fifth Avenue (1947)
  • It’s a Wonderful Life (1946)
  • Jack Frost (1998)
  • Just Friends (2005)
  • Love Actually (2003)
  • Meet John Doe (1941)
  • Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (1964)
  • Santa Claus Conquers the Martians (1964)
  • Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town (1970)
  • Serendipity (2001)

Merry Christmas to all who are celebrating today!