Being surrounded by family and friends while enjoying Christmas dinner is what makes the holidays special. But what pulls it together are the Christmas movies. When we think about Christmas, we think about being a kid again and having that feeling of comfort and warmth. Some of the best Christmas movies are those that exemplify the spirit of Christmas.

“Elf” is a movie that talks about spending time with family and trying to fit in, showcasing Buddy the elf and his stepbrother’s journey to try to get their father to spend time with them during the holidays. Elf shows the side of Christmas that revolves around family and how we bond around this time of year. I think it also shows how someone different can fit in due to the newfound love around them.

“Christmas vacation” is another family movie, and it shows that not every family is perfect. This comedy movie focuses on Clark Griswold and his family trying to have the best family Christmas ever throughout the movie, but at the end of the movie, he realizes that Christmas is not about everything being perfect its about spending time with your family no matter how crazy they are. I like this movie, because it shows the comedic side of family and Christmas, and is just a fun movie to watch if you are wanting to laugh.

“Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer” is about accepting people for who they are and that everyone is unique in their way. Rudolph is an inspiring figure to watch because he appeals to the sensitive part of ourselves. It shows that even the most confident of characters can feel insecure as well.

“How the Grinch stole Christmas” teaches people that Christmas is not about presents and gifts and decorations but about spreading holiday cheer and being around those you love. This movie makes me think how a person that can be so full of hatred can be exposed to the smallest amount of kindness that can make them rethink the morality of people.

“Home Alone” once again deals with the message that the holidays are best spent with other people as Kevin McCallister soon realizes he misses his family during the events of the film. This movie also makes me think about the importance of family and that even when you are mad with them, they will always be there for you.

“Santa Claus is coming to town” is a fun simple holiday movie that the whole family can enjoy. Because it details the origin of Kris Kringle becoming Santa Claus and how Christmas came to be. This movie is a great film to show the kids because it shows them the side of Santa Claus that they haven’t seen before.

“The Santa Clause” is a film whose message is about believing in something when others doubt you. The main characters, Scott Calvin and his son get to go to the north pole and Scott take on the role of Santa at the beginning of the film, but nobody believes them at first, by the end, Scott teaches his son that “Believing is seeing”. This movie is great to watch because it shows that even the most unexpected person can become Santa Claus.

With “A Christmas Carol” this classic story is about rediscovering the hope and cheer of the holiday season through Scrooge’s journey with three different ghosts. This story shows how a person who hates Christmas can love it due to past, present, and future consequences. Because it makes them wonder how they would want to live for the rest of their life.

“The Polar Express” represents the value of friendship and the importance of believing in the magic of Christmas as the main character starts the film without friends and doubting the magic of not only Christmas but almost everything else around him, and with his journey to the north pole aboard the train, our main character finds friendship and reignites his beliefs through the spirit of Christmas. This is my favorite Christmas movie because it makes me think about being a kid again, and having that child-like feeling again.

Now “Krampus” is a movie not everyone thinks of immediately when talking about holiday movies, on the surface it is a fun horror movie done through a Christmas lens but by paying attention one can see that also has a message about keeping the spirit of Christmas alive with one another because if you don’t it may not be Santa who comes to town. This is another one of my favorite movies because it can show a scary side of Christmas that no one thinks about. I think it also shows how different cultures view Christmas as this story is from Germany.

These top 10 Christmas movies are a way for us to get a better understanding of what Christmas means.