The holiday season is finally among us, and with it comes with endless festive activities: baking cookies, making snow angels and, most importantly, holiday movie marathons… I mean, who doesn’t wait all year for ABC’s 25 Days Of Christmas? If you’re having one of those days where all you want to do is kick back on the couch with your fuzzy socks and a mug of hot chocolate, then throw on one of these movies to complement your perfect cozy winter day.

Comedy

• Planes, Trains, and Automobiles
  • If you’re in the mood for a laugh, then this is the movie for you this holiday season! The 1987 John Hughes comedic production follows Neal Page (Steve Martin) on his long and tiring journey trying to make it back home for Thanksgiving with his family in the middle of a snowstorm. He ends up getting stuck bunking with the extremely chatty and annoying Del Griffith (John Candy), and they both must try to work together to make it home for the holidays.

• National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation
  • This 1989 movie, a Christmas classic, follows Clark Griswold (Chevy Chase), as he attempts to create the perfect Christmassy aura in and around his house, including the exterior decorations. Things get messy quickly when Griswold’s cousin Eddie (Randy Quaid) and his crazy family arrives on the property in a camper, adding to the already stressful holiday season.

Romantic

• Love Actually
  • This 2003 film is a great choice for anyone who appreciates a good romantic comedy. It follows eight different couples through their intertwined love lives during the hectic Christmas season in London, England. The story starts five weeks before Christmas and is played out in a countdown-type fashion, followed by an epilogue a month after Christmas day.

Family-Friendly

• Elf
  • This 2003 classic is perfect for a friend or family movie night. The film follows Buddy The Elf’s (Will Ferrell) life journey from an orphanage to the North Pole to New York City, where Buddy ventures to find his real father, Walter Hobbs (James Caan), a moody and less than spirited businessman. When it is revealed through a DNA test that Hobbs really is Buddy’s father, the Hobbs family welcomes Buddy into their home and a series of crazy, but quite laughable, events are played out.

• Home Alone
  • Circa 1990, “Home Alone” is the perfect holiday movie for you—it is sure to evoke tears, laughter and everything in between. The film follows Kevin McAllister (Macaulay Culkin) and his time spent home alone when his family forgets him the morning they leave for their Christmas vacation in Paris. Kevin has to learn to fend for himself, and he faces many obstacles along the way… the foremost obstacle being the fact that two burglars are trying to rob his family’s house!

• A Christmas Story

• • This family-friendly comedy based off the writings of Jean Shepherd may be from 1983, but the film has remained a holiday essential for years. Ralphie Parker (Peter Billingsley) dreams of his perfect Christmas present: a “Red Ryder air rifle,” yet his parents are a bit disapproving of the gift choice. Along his journey to Christmas Day, Ralphie faces bullies, mean teachers, funny looking lamps and more. This classic Christmas comedy is sure to make you laugh!

Drama

• The Polar Express
  • Based off of the children’s book by Chris Van Allsburg, “The Polar Express” is an inspiring, must-see movie for all ages. The film follows a young boy on his train ride to the magical North Pole. Throughout his journey, he meets many people, including Santa Claus himself, and he undergoes different experiences that allow him to not only discover parts of himself, but the importance of truly believing.

With the stresses of the holidays circulating, it is always nice to take a minute for yourself to stop and appreciate the joy of the season. Sitting back and watching one of these flicks is the perfect way to soak up some holiday cheer, so grab your popcorn, hot chocolate and TV remote and enjoy!