10 classic holiday movies to watch over break

by Helen Yang, Aquila Asst. STEM Editor

Trying to unwind and get into the holiday spirit? Just grab a hot chocolate, curl up in some blankets and choose a Christmas classic to watch with your family. Whether you’ve never seen them before or if you’re watching for the twentieth time, here are 10 classic holiday movies to enjoy over break.

1. Elf 

This heart-warming film follows a human boy who grew up with Santa and his elves as he searches for his father. Along with bright colors and family-friendly humor, “Elf” is one of the most popular Christmas movies out there. As a hilarious tale of love and discovery, this holiday movie is ideal to watch with the whole family.

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2. Home Alone

This simple yet entertaining movie contains plenty of ingenious pranks by none other than Kevin McCallister, who finds himself having to defend the house from two robbers after his parents accidentally forget to bring him on the family vacation. It won’t take long before you’ll find yourself laughing along with Kevin at the burglars who fall time and time again for his booby traps.

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3. Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas

Originally adopted from a Dr. Seuss book, this movie is another classic Christmas story. The Grinch’s heart grows as he slowly discovers the true meaning of Christmas spirit—and maybe while watching this, your heart will grow too.

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4. The Nightmare Before Christmas

Giving a twist to the classic Christmas movie, The Nightmare Before Christmas entails plenty of suspense to an otherwise heart-warming tale of Jack Skellington, Pumpkin King of Halloweentown and his exploration of the true meaning of Christmas. If you enjoy excitement and a little spookiness, this is the perfect movie for you!

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5. Frosty the Snowman

A classic animated film, this movie is about a group of children who must find a way to save Frosty, a living snowman, before he melts. Despite being made of snow, Frosty’s jolliness and happiness is sure to put a smile on your face in no time.

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6. Love Actually

This modern classic tells the lives of eight different people who struggle to find true love as Christmas quickly approaches. Filled with affairs, mourning and flirting, this movie will appeal to your inner drama queen while teaching a lesson of love.

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7. A Charlie Brown Christmas

Memorable not only for being a light-hearted, relatable Christmas story, A Charlie Brown Christmas is also iconic for being the first of the Peanuts animations. In only a half hour, this short film reminds us all what Christmas is really about.

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8. Miracle on 34th Street

In this black-and-white movie, Susan meets Kris Kringle, the friendly Santa at Macy’s, who claims to be the real Santa Claus. As Kris faces a series of course cases over his authenticity, he and Susan bond—and along the way, she realizes that Santa may be real after all.

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9. The Polar Express

A young boy boards a magical train to the North Pole that leads him on a journey of wonder and discovery, and in his adventure, he transforms from a skeptic to a believer of Christmas.

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10. A Christmas Carol

Based off of Charles Dickens’s short novel of the same title, this tale follows Ebenezer Scrooge in a path of redemption and discovery. With elements of horror and thrill added to his emotional journey, this movie will surely captivate your attention.

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