How To Have a Holly Jolly Holiday Night

By: Aylissa & Lauren

Turn on this Spotify holiday playlist to get started!

Pop those Pillsbury Christmas Tree Sugar Cookies in the oven

Turn off the lights and turn on your Christmas decorations

Grab a cozy blanket & put on your christmas pj’s

Light your fav bath & Body Works Christmas candle (Fresh Balsam is always the move)

Pray for snow (or make your own)!

Now that you’re cozy and prepared, turn on one, two, three (or all) of our list of Christmas movies! ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

1. A Christmas Story

Set down your newly unwrapped Red Ryder carbine action two-hundred shot range model air rifle and get ready to watch this Christmas classic. There’s a 99.99% chance you’ve already seen this movie so I won’t get too into detail about the plot. However, this movie does include a fight scene between Ralphie and Scut Farkus that is fit for WorldStar. I double dog dare you to watch this timeless Christmas movie (Available on Amazon Prime)

2. All the Claymation Classics

There are a ton of these and you will love them even more if you watch them with your family and pets. Watching the little clay people sing and dance the same way they used to when you were little is super comforting. Watch Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer, Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town, Jack Frost, Rudolph's Shiny New Year, or The Year Without a Santa Claus to be transported back to the days of your youth. (Available to Stream on Xfinity and Youtube).

3. Home Alone (MaCaulay Culkin only!)

Is it really Christmas if you don’t watch Home Alone? This film is an absolute classic filled with shenanigans, burglaries, and a crazy family that probably reminds you of yours (every family has a “Buzz” unfortunately.) Also, it is only acceptable to watch the ones starring MaCaulay Culkin. Who was that other kid anyway? Grab your cocoa and stream pre-drug-binge MaCaulay Culkin, you filthy animal. (Available to Stream on Hulu)

4. The Polar Express

Here we only got one rule (here we only got one rule), and that is to watch The Polar Express. This movie is a children's novel come to life. The Polar Express is a magical adventure that has subtle hints of eerie-ness. I mean, a child gets on a train full of strangers, talks to a hobo-ghost that brews coffee with socks, and gets trapped in a car with haunted puppets. It feels like you are watching a fever dream, but I love it, nonetheless. Also Tom Hanks is in it, so there’s always that positive! (Available to Stream on Amazon Prime)

5. ELF

If you claim to love the Holidays, but don’t like ELF, you sit on a throne of lies. ELF is a timeless Christmas comedy starring Will Ferrell that is an epic that involves a journey from The North Pole to New York City. ELF is wild from start to finish but in the most comforting and endearing way possible. (Available to Stream on Amazon Prime and Xfinity)

6. How The Grinch Stole Christmas

These movies are fantastic, because I think we all have a little “Grinch” in us. The Grinch is just a little misunderstood because he is green. To make story short, the citizens of Whoville hate him ‘cause they ain’t him.  Also, Max is the cutest little dog ever. Whether you are watching the live-action, animated, or newly-released version of this movie, your heart will still grow three sizes. (Available to stream on Netflix)

7. ABC Family Original Movies

Oh the (unconventional) classics. Everyone loves a good ABC Family (sorry, Freeform...it will always be the OG ABC Fam to me) original holiday movie. They aren’t QUITE as cheesy as a Lifetime movie, but they have just the right amount to make you smile.

• Holiday In Handcuffs- ah we LOVE a good Christmas kidnapping!

• Snowglobe- dreaming up your dream man is my favorite holiday pastime

• Christmas Cupid- A modern twist on A Christmas Carol is the move in Hollywood

8. The Santa Clause Movies

ICONIC. That’s the one word that I will use for my FAVORITE Christmas movies of all time.  Tim Allen is the ultimate Scrooge after going through a divorce, so when his son, Charlie (arguably one of the cutest child actors ever), spends the night on Christmas Eve and they discover Santa on the roof, he is forced to take a new view on Christmas. The North Pole in The Santa Clause movies is enough to put anyone in the Christmas spirit!

9. Christmas Vacation 

I’m a little biased toward this movie because it’s one that my family watches every year on Christmas Eve so my entire family can quote the WHOLE movie. However, as a Chevy Chase aficionado, Christmas Vacation is a holiday staple. With one of the most relatable holiday experiences, follow along as everything seems to go wrong for Clark Griswold and his family when the in-laws come to town. Grab some eggnog and laugh along as the Griswold family tries to have the hap hap happiest Christmas without getting the Christmas bonus that they deserve.

10. Christmas With the Kranks

There always seems to be the one year where everyone talks about cancelling Christmas and taking a vacation instead (this year it happens to be my cousin and his wife who decided to ditch the fam and head to Hawaii). Well the Kranks wanted to do just that, but when their daughter calls on Christmas Eve and tells her parents that she’s coming home (with her new boyfriend) we all have to laugh as the Kranks must turn from Scrooge to Santa. Honestly, what could go wrong?

11. Deck The Halls

You know that one house in the neighborhood that goes ALL OUT with their Christmas decorations? Well in Deck The Halls, Danny Devito and Matthew Broderick play the iconic dads who take “being the best” waaaay too far. Once again, grab some eggnog and enjoy this movie of dads taking the “dad persona” to a whole new holiday level.

12. Love Actually 

You can’t spell “the holidays” without LOVE (you can, but ignore it). Love Actually is the holiday classic that anyone who has a HEART must watch. It’s full of every element of a great romantic comedy with the perfect blend of everything Christmassy. Hugh Grant, Keira Knightley, Liam Neeson, Colin Firth and Emma Thompson do NOT disappoint in this great holiday love story about a bunch of different characters who lives seem to magically intertwine.

Happy Holidays!