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Which Christmas Movie Should We Watch? Here's the Best from Every Decade!
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items It's the most wonderful time of year! Christmas season is here and cozy movie nights by the fire with a hot chocolate & warm blanket are upon us. Here's our family's movie marathon list by the decade. If I missed anything that absolutely must get...
Sections
6
1940s - 1950s
1960s - 1970s
1980s
1990s
2000s
2010s
1940s - 1950s
Some of the best, most nostalgic Christmas movies are 70+ (!!) years old. The greatest generation made the sweetest movies of all time.
A double feature: Holiday Inn (1942) and Miracle on 34th Street (1947). Great deal for both classic movies on BluRay!
Miracle on 34th St & Holiday Inn [Blu-ray]
Such a truly wonderful story. I love this movie from 1946!
It's a Wonderful Life (Blu-ray + Digital)
Beautiful music, beautiful imagery! A classic in every sense. Released in 1954.
White Christmas [4K UHD + Blu-Ray + Digital Copy]
1960s - 1970s
What's up with all the animation of the 1960s-1970s?! The most memorable movies of these two decades happen to be the Muppets and animation. What am I missing?!
1965 saw Charlie Brown on the big screen with this animated classic that's stood the test of time.
A Charlie Brown Christmas: Special Edition
This is the 1966 version of How the Grinch Stole Christmas and it's a favorite alongside the others, which also appear in this list :)
How The Grinch Stole Christmas: Deluxe Ed.
I learned “Feliz Navidad” by watching this 1978 classic every single Christmas growing up. This leads to the rent/buy option on Prime, but you can also grab a DVD copy. Think we can petition for a Bluray copy??
Christmas Eve on Sesame Street
1980s
Some of these movies weren't the most PC for my kid ears, but once I grew up, the jokes from A Christmas Story & Christmas Vacation became seared in my mind. Such a good decade for Christmas classics!
If you don't think of this movie every time you look at a metal pole in the middle of winter, you're lying or haven't seen it! 1983 classic!
A Christmas Story (4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray) [4K UHD]
This is the perfect version of A Christmas Carol for kids released in 1983. But honestly, you'd love it too!
Mickey’s Christmas Carol
This is a remake of the 1961 classic Babes in Toyland. It was released in 1986 and I can't even count how many times I watched this growing up.
Babes in Toyland [Blu-ray]
You either believe this 1988 classic is a Christmas movie, or you don't :) Here's the full set, because this price is excellent!
Die Hard Movie Collection [Blu-ray] 2017
1989 coming in hot with this one and closing out the decade strong.
National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation [4K UHD]
1990s
I may be partial as an 80s baby who grew up in the 90s, but this is when Christmas movies really took off and made a name for themselves. I had a hard time narrowing things down from here.
1990's Home Alone is forever one of the best. I grew up in Chicago so it was always so fun to see O'Hare Airport in the movie.
Home Alone [4K UHD]
Home Alone 2 came out just 2 years later in 1992 and was pretty solid!
Home Alone 2: Lost in New York
A Christmas Carol has been adapted in so many ways over the years, but between Mickey in the 80s and Muppets in 1992, you can't go wrong.
The Muppet Christmas Carol [Blu-ray]
If you love chaotic Christmas movies, this one's for you! 1996 was wild, man.
Jingle All The Way
JTT 1998. Enough said.
I'll Be Home For Christmas 20th Anniv. Blu-ray
The trio! All fantastic. First one was 1994, 2nd in 2002 & 3rd in 2006.
The Santa Clause 3-Movie Collection [Blu-ray]
2000s
I graduated high school & college in the 2000s and I swear these movies are as good as the classics.
Admittedly, this 2000 Jim Carrey edition is my least favorite of the 3, but it's a fun one to change it up.
How The Grinch Stole Christmas [Blu-ray]
THE GOAT. Will Ferrell knocks this 2003 classic out of the park and every line is seared into my brain forever. “Bye Buddy, hope you find your dad.”
Elf (4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray) [4K UHD]
Another 2003 favorite that framed my college Christmas movie marathons.
Love Actually [4K + Blu-ray + Digital]
2004 Polar Express adaptation of the book. Can't wait to hop on the 1880 Train in Keystone, SD this year for our own Polar Express!
The Polar Express (4K UHD)
I ADORE this movie from 2005. I couldn't care less what the plot was because the cast is incredible, but I loved the plot too :)
The Family Stone
Released in 2006, this came out in my senior year of college. So nostalgic and while not entirely a “Christmas movie” it still feels like one that’s more enjoyable to watch around this time of year.
The Holiday [Blu-ray]
2010s
I can't believe the 2010s are already rounded out and pretty soon here I'll need to add a section to capture new releases …
The sweetest portrayal of the birth of Jesus and the meaning of Christmas. This 2017 classic has been on repeat every Christmas since.
The Star [Blu-ray] [DVD]
I might just be SUPER nostalgic as this is the first movie we brought my daughter to in the theater, but this is my top Grinch pick. Such an excellent movie from 2018!
Dr. Seuss' The Grinch [Blu-ray]
Netflix has some great options including the Christmas Chronicles, first released in 2018.
The Christmas Chronicles on Netflix
Klaus from 2019 seems to have closed out the decade. We've watched this a couple times over the years and it's such a sweet story!
Klaus on Netflix