It’s that time of year again. Time to get out the ugly Christmas sweaters, warm up a cup of delicious hot cocoa, avoid the disgusting fruitcakes that seem to be everywhere, and finally, to get all cozy by the warm fire and get ready to watch Christmas movies. But, with an abundance of great movies, this task can also become a chore. So I’ve made a list. A list of the top 5 best Christmas movies you need to be watching this holiday season.

How The Grinch Stole Christmas. This classic follows a young girl by the name of Cindy Lou Who, who just wants the nasty and grumpy Grinch to have a good Christmas for once. On the other hand, the Grinch just wants to be left alone and for Christmas to end. With a dastardly and evil plan to steal the Christmas gifts, he may just get his wish. What makes this movie so memorable is the theme. You don’t need material things to enjoy the holidays, all you need is to be surrounded by friends and family. Along with that, the witty dialogue and hilarious characters make this movie fun for all ages.

A Miracle On 34th Street is about a young girl named Susan who doesn’t believe in Santa, but when a strange man comes to the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, and claims to be him, Susan, her skeptical mother, and their handsome neighbor, are thrown into a whirlwind of fun, magic, and romance as they try to prove this man to be the real Santa Claus. While this movie is very old, and may not entertain kids as well, it’s still a classic for the holidays, because it teaches you that no matter how old you get, you can still believe in things like magic.

White Christmas. This film is about two singers named Bob and Phil who run into sister act Betty and Judy. On a crazy whim, they travel together to rural Vermont, where they run into the boy’s old WW2 commander, who, they learn, is currently having severe financial troubles. Using the power of comedy and music, the four must now come up with a plan to save their commander’s country inn before it’s too late. This movie is also a very old one, with a strong message. It’s about caring and giving to others. Which is the what Christmas is all about.

Elf. Starring superstars Will Ferrell and Zooey Deschanel, Elf is one of the most beloved Christmas films of our generation. The story centers around a misfit worker in Santa’s workshop, who one day realizes he isn’t actually an elf, but a human man! With this realization, he sets off for New York to find his real father. Once there, he has to deal with a whole new set of problems: making his dad love him, falling in love himself, and even possibly saving Christmas. Elf is great for kids as well as adults. It has a wonderful message wrapped up in humorous  dialogue of making sure you don’t get too invested in everyday life to miss the important things going on.

To round off this list, I have an old family favorite. A Christmas Carol. This movie follows a bitter old miser who only loves only one thing: making money. On Christmas night, he is haunted by 3 ghosts, the ghosts of Christmas past, present, and future. Through the journey of his life with the ghosts, he must learn to become a more kind, caring, and generous person, or suffer the consequences of a bitter old life. There have been many, many versions of this classic, which make it great for everyone. No matter how old you are, you can still enjoy the complex storyline and compelling characters.

After going on this wonderful journey through the amazing land of Christmas cinema, it’s important to list the honorable mentions. That time Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer, when we learned Tim Allen was really Santa Claus in The Santa Clause 1,2,& 3, and when Rudolph learned it’s okay to be different in Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer.

There are many, many more good films to watch, and these are only a small selection of the best of them. Just remember, don’t forget to enjoy the small moment with friends and family, no matter what you end up watching this holiday season.