As we enter the holidays, what better way to spend your time by watching holiday movies with your family and friends. Here are some of my personal favorite holiday movies that are perfect for the season.

1. Home Alone – Released in 1990, it is a movie about a young boy named Kevin who  was left alone due to his family being in a rush to get to the airport. Besides having to figure out how to take care of himself, he soon finds himself having to outsmart a couple of burglars. The very first time I watched this movie was with my sister, we really enjoyed our time watching it and we thought it was a very hilarious movie. It also made us not want to be home alone ever again especially when we were watching it being home alone with only us two in the house. We thought that Kevin was really brave for facing the burglars invading his home. I think that Home Alone 1 is a classic holiday movie which shows the comedy and heartwarming aspects of Kevin being independent and knowing the importance of being with family. One of my favorite moments when watching this movie would be when Kevin shows the process of his hilarious pranks. I also really liked how it shows the message about family and how important it is to appreciate them. This was through him enjoying his independence and realizing that he misses his family, which is something that really made me think about the holiday season, as it’s a time in which you are surrounded by your loved ones. I would definitely recommend watching it, which is why I rate it a 9/10. 
2. The Grinch, both the live action and animated one are really good movies; however, I like the live action one more. How the Grinch Stole Christmas released in 2000 was made by Dr. Seuss which is essentially a holiday tale on the Grinch, a mean grump who is the opposite of the Whos in Whoville, who are happy and upbeat. I liked the movie, especially the Whoville village. I feel like it really captured my attention of what this village looked like, it looked really pretty with all the lights surrounding them and in general what their village looks like. From the beginning to the end of the movie I really liked the growth of the Grinch and the message about Christmas. One time specifically, a couple years ago my littlest sister was acting very rude with everyone, which led me to telling her that if she doesn’t behave she will get her presents stolen by the Grinch, just like he did with the Whos. It was pretty hilarious because she then started crying about it and told my mom, my mom pretty much agreed with me so she could stop acting the way she was acting, which she did. Although I do wish we made one of my uncles dress as the Grinch so we could have sacred her. Overall, I would rate this a 9/10. 
3. The Christmas Chronicles – Released in 2018, it focuses on two siblings named Kate and Teddy. This pair of siblings didn’t have the strongest relationship. However, they had decided to stay up and record to see if Santa was real, which led to some Christmas adventuresI really liked the movie, especially the sibling bonding between Kate and Teddy. Just because when my younger sister and I were little we would often have little fights, especially when she would snitch on me, so I saw that similarity when I first watched it. Overall, I liked the magical action aspect of the movie, as well as the sibling relationship, which is why I rate it a 8/10.
4. The Nightmare Before Christmas – Released in 1993 was about a skeleton named  Jack Skellington who becomes amazed by Pumpkin of Halloween Town and decides to take over Christmas Town by kidnapping Santa. I really liked The Nightmare Before Christmas because it has a unique film style, which at first I didn’t because I thought it was a really weird setting of combining both Christmas and Halloween together, but after watching it a second time with my aunt I came to the realization that this is what makes it unique and special to me for the facts that Jack to rediscover himself. This made the movie much more special and enjoyable. I really like when Jack went into his own journey of discovering himself. I also liked the different types of music this movie had since it wasn’t just Christmas songs. One of my favorite songs from this movie would be “What’s This?” since it represents when Jack discovers Christmas town. I love how it’s both spooky and jolly. The theme of finding Jack’s purpose is what makes this movie really enjoyable for me, which is why I rate it a 9/10. 
5. Mickey’s Once upon a Christmas – Released in 1999, it focuses on Mickey and his friends celebrating the season. I really liked this holiday movie since it brought back all nostalgic memories from my childhood, and watching it again with my family as a high schooler reminded me of how my holidays were back then. The different segments Mickey and his friends had, bring out their own type of lessons such as being kind and appreciating our loved ones. Plus, when watching this movie with my cousins when we were younger, I remember when we would watch it nonstop for every holiday occasion that we would hang out together which basically became our little tradition of putting this movie on during the holidays. I liked how this film was very pure and heartwarming. This is a good movie to put on when having family movie nights, which is something I do with my family, and I rate this a 8/10. 
6. The Nutcracker and Four Realms – Released in 2018, it’s essentially a fantasy film  about a girl named Clara. She’s a girl who ended up receiving an egg from her mother who unfortunately passed away, and with it she was able to be transported into a fantasy world during Christmas Eve.Through this adventure she was able to meet Philip in which they work together in order to have balance between both worlds. I liked the magical action that was shown in the movie. It  showed and captured the holiday spirit through this fantasy world. I liked how Clara’s journey teaches her about herself and the next steps she has to do in order to fix things. It was visually really pretty to watch and felt some sense of comfort when being at home watching it. The adventure part made it more interesting to watch, and  I rate it a 8/10.
7. Are We There Yet? – Released in 2005, Nick Persons (Ice Cube) is in a relationship with Suzanna, who has two kids – Kevin and Lindsey. Nick was tasked to drive the kids to her home in time for the holidays, but the kids are really suspicious of Nick and decide to make stops along their road trip. I really liked this movie since it was a really funny and heartwarming comedy. I found it really cute how Nick and the kids went from having zero interest in each other to bonding over this road trip. I feel like it showed relatable sides to being part of a family such as the frustrations and funny moments there are in family road trips. It showed that these moments are times in which we should be the most thankful for although it may be frustrating at times, those are also the times in which we get to connect with one another the most.Overall, I loved the comedy in this movie, especially watching it with family members, because it reminded me of my own family trips and watching it is the best way to laugh during these holidays, which is why I rate it a 10/10
8. The Star – Released in 2017, is about Bo, a donkey whose dream is to leave the duty place, this is a place in which they are kept to fulfill the tasks they are given from humans, in order to find his true destiny with other animals as well. They end up escaping in order to follow a star, which ends up leading them to the place in which Jesus is first born. I personally really like this movie since it tells the story of Jesus through the eyes of the animals. It is a heartwarming and family-friendly movie that captures the meaning of Christmas, especially if you’re religious. It was a really engaging movie for those who are younger and I would definitely recommend watching it with your family, which is why I rate it a 9/10.
9. Elf – Released in 2003, it is a Christmas comedy with a focus on a guy named Buddy (Will Ferrel), a human who was also raised by elves at the North Pole. He starts his journey to New York City to find his biological father. Buddy also struggles to fit in the human world. Although this is an obstacle for him he still managed to spread his Christmas spirit. I liked this movie because Buddy’s enthusiasm really gets me to also be in a holiday spirit. Such as when he was decorating a department store, it also makes me get into the spirit of decorating my room during this time of year. It really captured the nostalgic memories I had as a kid. It personally feels as if it’s Christmas itself. I also really liked the growth of Walter (James Caan), Buddy’s work-obsessed father, turning into someone who cares and values his family. It also reminded me about my loved ones and connecting with them. I know sometimes I personally get caught up with school work, sports, and a bunch of other stuff, so when seeing this movie I realized that no matter what I am doing I will make an effort to spend quality time with my family. This is one of my go-to movies because it’s heartwarming to watch, knowing that Christmas is about being together and showing our holiday spirits. I felt that it was a pretty funny movie and anyone would enjoy to watch it, which is why I rate it a 9/10
10. Angela’s Christmas – Released in 2017, it is a heartwarming film based on a young girl named Angela, who desires to make Christmas special. She often visits the nativity scene with baby Jesus at her local church. , to make sure it has a warm and cozy Christmas like everyone else does. She decides that baby Jesus is cold and decides to take it home to keep it warm during the Christmas night. I like the movie because it showed Angela’s desire to make her world a better place and I feel like that’s what Christmas is to me. Her adventure showed that even her small acts of service can be something meaningful to others, that’s what I would define the holidays as. It shows the Christmas spirit of being generous towards others and the importance of being with family. Through this movie I believe many can relate to the fact that we have the ability to do small acts of service that can mean a lot more to others , which is why I would give this movie a 9/10. 

These movies are essential for me during the holiday season because they each bring a different type of theme whether it’s humorous, heartwarming, or magical. Watching them with my family creates core memories and really gets me into the Christmas spirit. They remind me that the holidays are about more than just presents, they’re also about spending time with loved ones and creating memories with them. The sense of laughter and joy that these movies have, makes them perfect during this holiday season.