5. Home Alone 2

Home Alone 2 cannot match the original’s aura and magic. It does, however, embrace the Christmas spirit while utilizing a new backdrop, even if the plot is a self-aware duplication. Who didn’t want to see Macaulay Culkin as Kevin again, or watch a hapless Harry and Marv get subjected to slapstick torture? Kevin’s family remains entertaining, with his mom and brother, Buzz, as additional comedic and plot vehicles. Whether it is John Williams’ score or the cinematography that gives everything a warm glow and pulls all the right nostalgia strings, I can watch this movie an unlimited amount without Home Alone 2 wearing out its welcome.

4. A Christmas Story

At one point, A Christmas Story may have been my favorite holiday movie. I had forgotten about it until watching it during an end-of-term party in high school (right before Christmas, obviously). It gave me the peculiar sense of watching something that was familiar while being simultaneously difficult to place in a timeline of when the movie released, what era it represented, and when I previously viewed it. The sensation was essentially deja-vu inception. I loved that it embodied a child’s angst and excitement during Christmas. I adored that the film’s events were relatable with just enough zaniness to make for a better story. It was around the time of this reintroduction that I discovered TBS and TNT both aired 24-hour Christmas day marathons. Even today, at least one television in the house has A Christmas Story playing non-stop on December 25th until the marathon ends at 7 PM Central (a random fact that is burned into my memory…or it could be 8…close enough). This is now a blessing and a curse. I can only handle so much Ralphie and Scut Farkus, and that means A Christmas Story may only get one viewing outside the marathon. Regardless, this movie will forever be a favorite because of the feelings it inspires.

3. The Polar Express

Does this movie fully reside in the uncanny valley? Yes. Does that make it creepy at times? Absolutely. Are the elves terrifying? Without a doubt. Despite these significant flaws, The Polar Express embraces what the Christmas aura should look, sound, and feel like, and immerses the viewer in a cozy, wintry dream world. This movie is Christmas and winter to its core, and there’s even Tom Hanks doing plenty of heavy lifting to make it all entertaining. The biggest nostalgic memory I have for The Polar Express is it being one of the first DVDs I rented from Netflix during my OG trial period. Whenever I watch, I also receive a flood of memories from past Christmas moments with family and other experiences related to milestone moments in my life. The Polar Express is flawed, but it smothers me in sentimentality; I appreciate that.

2. National Lampoons’ Christmas Vacation

Christmas Vacation is the mandatory first holiday movie of the season, watched the Thanksgiving evening. It is also one of my most quoted movies throughout the year. This is another film that provides a full serving of winter and holiday goodness. Each scene is memorable and highlights how the most imperfect experience can still be special when its spent with family and that, sometimes, the best memories come from those events that do not go as planned. Christmas Vacation does not have to be more than it is to be entertaining, a meaningful comedy that exists thanks to the simple presence of the Christmas season. It’s one of those lightning-in-a-bottle movies, and I love it.

1. Home Alone

One of my all-time favorite movies and a certified holiday classic, Home Alone is the movie that showed me I loved holiday movies. Take everything I said about Home Alone 2, and apply it here with greater affection. If you want to distract me for nearly two hours, turn on Home Alone; I will drop what I’m doing and get lost in a film I’ve seen countless times. The story, the setting, the soundtrack, the house (THAT GORGEOUSLY DECORATED HOUSE!!!) coalesce into something wonderful that carved its initials into my soul, and I’m perpetually filled with happiness whenever it graces a screen. John Williams has created the soundtrack to some of my favorite films, and his themes in Home Alone generate as much imagery as the film’s visuals. Additionally, this was the cornerstone movie that anchored the first “Christmas Movie Day” that I started with my brother and sister fifteen years ago, where we spend the day watching all the movies above, plus others. While that tradition has spent several years on the shelf as various life events take priority, I fondly remember the earliest iterations relaxing together in one another’s company. We would stuff our faces with snacks and watch with bliss as Kevin desperately inquired about the ADA approval of a toothbrush and was robbed of the enjoyment from eating a mac and cheese microwave dinner.

There are plenty of other holiday movies that I love to watch during December, but these five bring about the best Christmas feelings. Hopefully, you’ve found pleasure in your own cinematic choices and have a top list that gives you a dose of magic and nostalgia in Santa season.