Christmas Movies to Chillax With

I love Christmas and I love watching Christmas movies. I know some people who will watch Christmas movies any time of the year, but I personally don't like to. They don't elicit the same feelings for me when not around the holidays.

Someone recently asked me my top 5 favorite Christmas movies. Believe it or not it was hard to narrow down!

In no particular order (because sometimes it's by my mood and not just which movie is better) here are my Top 5 favorite Christmas movies.



Die Hard

It's Christmas Eve, which automatically just makes it a Christmas movie. Besides, it's Bruce Willis just being a total badass. It gives me all the feels and really does get me more into the holiday spirit. Sometimes you are not in a "It's a Wonderful Life" kind of mood. Sometimes you just need to see John McClane in a bloodied tank top trying to save his wife's life.

Elf

The thing is, this is still a "new" Christmas movie to me. Even though it came out in 2003. Technically I was an adult (I was still in college and still lived at home- but technically an adult). I didn't want to like this movie. I saw Will Ferrell starring in it in that ridiculous get up and it pissed me off. He was mocking my favorite holiday! Only, it turns out, Elf is not mocking Christmas at all, it's shedding light on how cynical and commercialized we have all become about the holidays. I watch this every year and it never fails to get me in the spirit.  (Plus it has Zooey Deschanel as a blonde, which is super weird)

Love Actually

Love Actually is one of those movies that tears me down to eventually build me back up. I can't watch this movie if I am already feeling emotional. Or, if I feel like I need a good cry, then it's therapeutic. But it does mix enough humor and quirkiness with the sad, that's why I love it. And also, Christmas! I know you have all seen it, so really, enough said.

National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation

This almost didn't make it in the top 5. And I will admit I don't really watch it every year because it is one of those movies that you can get sick of. But we recently watched it again and I still laughed pretty hard at parts. I think it holds up over time. It's a good movie to wrap presents to because you don't have to really pay attention to it.

The Shop Around the Corner

Did you know You've Got Mail is based on this movie? If you're nerdy and into movies (like me) you might have known that.  I love old movies and ever since I watched this one in high school, I end up watching it every Christmas season. Jimmy Stewart and Margaret Sullavan work in a leather goods shop together, they don't like each other and always end up arguing. They also don't realize they are each other's respective pen pals. It gets a little schmaltzy at the end, but I like that kind of thing. It's also not just about the two main characters, but the people they work with in the shop.

I just recorded this over the weekend and can't wait to watch it again! Mr. McKay says he wants to watch it with me.

These aren't the only Christmas movies I like, just my top 5. Of course there are runners up!

What's your favorite Christmas movie?