What is the best way to celebrate the holidays?
Is it window shopping? Sledding?
Perhaps baking a gazillion holiday cookies and destroying the kitchen? (Guilty!)
Whatever your favorite holiday activity is, I think we can all agree that a holiday movie night is one of the absolute best ways to get into the holiday spirit. ✨
Now, if you’re like me, choosing the next holiday movie to watch can be tough.
So… why not create a holiday movie bucket list instead, and challenge yourself to watch each film before the big day?
Now we are talking!
To help kick things off, let’s take a look at some of the best holiday movies so you can create your very own holiday movie bucket list this season.
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Free Seasonal Bucket List
Before you begin to create your holiday movie bucket list, be sure to grab this free seasonal activity bucket list!
Includes over 20 great activity ideas for each season.
This is a great way to fill up your weekends with fun ideas, all year long.
The Ultimate Holiday Movie Bucket List
The Nightmare Before Christmas: We have a tradition of watching this amazing movie just after Halloween. Tim Burton brings together Halloween and Christmas… who could ask for more? It is the perfect movie transition between these two fun holidays.
Elf: When Buddy the elf learns his parents are actually human, he travels to New York City in search of his father. Hillarious, witty, festive, and fun!
Polar Express: A young boy climbs aboard the Polar Express on Christmas Eve to meet Santa. The train journey is one he will never forget!
Christmas with the Kranks: After sending their daughter off to Peru, a couple decides to “skip” Christmas and go on a cruise instead. Will their neighbors, coworkers, and friends understand? Certainly not.
National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation: Clark Griswold’s master plans of celebrating the perfect Christmas predictably go awry in this absolute classic holiday movie.
Home Alone: Kevin McCallister’s family accidentally leaves him home alone during the holidays. But, when two robbers attempt to break into his home, can his wits save him? Don’t forget about the Home Alone equals as well (there are too many to count, but the second one is definitely worth a watch).
The Ultimate Christmas Present: Two young girls devise a plan to make it snow in Los Angeles, in a hopeful attempt to close their school.
The Night Before: To celebrate their final Christmas Eve together, three life-long friends plan the craziest night of their lives.
Deck the Halls: When his neighbor attempts to add enough lights on his house to be visible from space, Steve must take matters into his own hands to protect his sanity.
Office Christmas Party: In an attempt to save their branch office, a group of coworkers plans the most epic office Christmas party of all time.
Bad Santa: An unhappy conman partners with a friend to work at local malls during the holidays. By day, they play Santa and his Little Helper; by night, they rob the stores. What could go wrong?
The Grinch: This year, Whoville attempts to make Christmas bigger than ever before. In an effort to finally have some peace and quiet, the Grinch devises a plan.
The Best Man Holiday: A group of college friends gets together to enjoy the holidays after 15-long years apart.
Love Actually: This British romantic comedy follows several storylines, all taking place during the holiday season.
The Holiday: A quiet English woman and outgoing California woman agree to switch homes during the holidays.
Four Christmases: After their vacation plans fall through, a couple must (grudgingly) attend four different family celebrations.
Jingle All the Way: After promising to gift his son a special toy, a dedicated father soon finds that this may be an impossible task.
Happiest Season: A young woman travels to her girlfriend’s family home for their annual holiday party to discover she has yet to come out to her family.
How the Grinch Stole Christmas: The Grinch attempts to hijack Christmas in Whoville by posing as Santa.
Last Christmas: Kate, a year-round holiday elf, has fallen into a rut of bad luck. But, after meeting Tom, could things turn around for her?
A Bad Moms Christmas: A group of overworked mom friends struggles through the holidays.
The Santa Clause: After Santa Claus falls off his roof, Scott Calvin puts on the Santa suit; a decision that will change his life forever. There is also The Santa Clause 2 and The Santa Clause 3, all are great movie ideas.
A Christmas Story: A young boy attempts to convince everyone he can that a Red Ryder BB Gun is the perfect holiday gift.
It’s a Wonderful Life: An angel shows a desperate businessman what life would be like without him.
Scrooged: A greedy TV executive is visited by three spirits, each providing a lesson in life.
Almost Christmas: A dysfunctional family gathers together for the holiday season.
Holiday in Handcuffs: A waitress kidnaps one of her customers to take home to the family for the holidays. If you’re a fan of ABC Family holiday movies, here is a great four-pack on Amazon.
The Family Stone: A man brings his uptight girlfriend home for the holidays.
Last Holiday: A shy woman learns of a terminal illness. To ensure she truly enjoys the holiday season, she sells all of her possessions and lives life to the fullest at a fancy hotel.
Mixed Nuts: A series of wild events unfold while Philip works his crisis hotline over the holidays.
Disney’s A Christmas Carol: The classic tale of Scrooge, a man visited by three spirits over the holiday season.
Miracle on 34th Street: A young girl assists a lawyer in attempting to prove that a man claiming to be Santa Claus is telling the truth.
Christmas at the Plaza: A historian and decorator team up to create the Plaza’s Christmas display. Along the way, they find happiness, magic, and love. (Hallmark has a TON of great, sometimes corny, but always entertaining movies to choose from!)
Fred Claus: Santa’s rebel brother travels to the North Pole to make some extra cash during the holidays.
Honorable Mentions
In addition, here is a list of movies that take place during the holiday season, but are not technically holiday movies… if you know what I mean?
- Iron Man 3
- Where’d You Go, Burnadette?
- Just Friends
- Rise of the Guardians
- Gremlins
- Die Hard
- Batman Returns
- Edward Scissorhands
- You’ve Got Mail
- Trading Places
- Cast Away
- Kiss Kiss Bang Bang
Additional Movie Bucket Lists:
Looking for more seasonal movie bucket lists? Check out these great resources:
- 18 Spring Movies You Have to Check Out
- Summer Movie Bucket List: 31 Movies Perfect for Summer
- 17 Fall Movies to Get You in the Autumn Spirit
- Movie Bucket List: Winter Edition
Further Reading:
Also, be sure to check out these great related posts to help you fill your weekends with even more fun and adventure!
- The Ultimate Holiday Bucket List – 50 Magical Activity Ideas
- 12 Days of Christmas Activity Ideas: What to do Between Christmas and New Years
- 105 Exciting At-Home Activities to Try this Week
- 21 Life-Changing Books You Must Read
- An Entire List of My Book Lists
There you have it, my holiday movie bucket list! I hope you were able to find some great holiday movie ideas to add to your very own movie bucket list. Time to make some popcorn and get cozy!
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