Festive sights everywhere, Christmas music in the stores, candles in every window, cars passing by with their precious Christmas tree tied to the roof, cinnamon pinecones at grocer's entryways, holiday sweaters {purposefully ugly or otherwise}, snow sightings. Don't you just love this time of Christmas preparations? Unlike my husband, I like the bustle and festivities of Christmas. So I thought I'd do a fun post today and share with you my favorite movies to watch at Christmas time. A more serious post on Christmas will be coming soon.
There's something about the excitement of opening that box of vhs dvd Christmas movies. It doesn't take much to make me want to fix something hot to drink, curl up on the couch by the woodstove and pop in a wintertime story into the VCR. The other night I caught most of the I Love Lucy Christmas special on CBS, they remastered them and colorized them. I was so neat to watch Lucy in color and finally see what their apartment looked like. Haha! Most likely some of these are movies you wouldn't think of for Christmas, but they contain a small Christmas part.
There's something about the excitement of opening that box of vhs dvd Christmas movies. It doesn't take much to make me want to fix something hot to drink, curl up on the couch by the woodstove and pop in a wintertime story into the VCR. The other night I caught most of the I Love Lucy Christmas special on CBS, they remastered them and colorized them. I was so neat to watch Lucy in color and finally see what their apartment looked like. Haha! Most likely some of these are movies you wouldn't think of for Christmas, but they contain a small Christmas part.
A Charlie Brown Christmas
What is Christmas without Charlie Brown? It brings one of the ever present songs in my head during the Christmas season, "Christmastime is Here". Linus telling the Christmas story from the KJV version account in Luke 2, Ahh, classic Christmas. And yes, we have cartoon Christmas movies, that we love. We are a cartoon-y couple anyway (Robin Hood anyone?)
Avonlea Christmas
If you've been around this blog for any amount of time, you've probably heard me mention Road to Avonlea before. This is such a great family friendly show, by the producers of the beloved Anne of Green Gables series. Avonlea (as we affectionately call it around here) is such a homey show to me. I will warn that it is quite the investment, it's cheapest to buy the whole set at once. Actually I purchased them last year around this time, while they were on sale on Amazon.
The Christmas movie is not part of the set. I purchased it separate and it takes place after the whole series.
The Christmas Card
This is about the only Hallmark Christmas movie that doesn't get on my nerves. It's about an American soldier in the Middle East who receives a Christmas card from a girl in a small town. When he is sent home on leave, he decides to track down the girl. He spends the Christmas holiday with the girl and her parents, but they don't know he received a Christmas card from her. He works in their lumber yard, and in typical Hallmark fashion, they fall in love. Working Man and I enjoy watching this together.
Meet Me in St. Louis
This is one of the non-typical Christmas movies I watch. The reason being, Judy Garland sings the iconic "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" in this film. It actually covers a whole year in an early 1900's home in St. Louis. Family bond is strong, grandfather lives with them. Marjorie Main plays the cook, and anything she plays in is great. It's a musical, a family adventure, a love story.
The Homecoming
The tv series The Waltons was started after this movie aired and became popular. This is the original Walton's movie. And it's centered around Christmas. But boy are we glad when the series aired they changed Mama, Daddy and Grandpa! My sister-in-law and I always joke around about "My Christmas Cactus!" the way Mama Walton says it in her gravely voice. If you enjoy the Waltons then you'll probably enjoy this movie.
Holiday Inn
This story by Irving Berlin is actually better then his White Christmas in our opinion. And the story isn't just about Christmas but about every holiday, so sometimes we watch it after Christmas or right after the new year. Working Man watches it with me despite the fact that it is a musical (he forgets that until we start watching).
Bing Crosby plays a showbiz man who leaves it all to open an Inn in Connecticut that only opens on holidays. The Bingster sings the beloved "White Christmas" in this black and white film from 1942.
White Christmas
I had this movie and then got rid of it because I really hate the wierd choreography part that I feel has nothing to do with the main story line. There are a couple of old movies that do this same thing (Singing in the Rain) and I don't get it. But I love the other parts, so I picked it up again.
Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye start up a show business act after the war and travel to Vermont (by train, who else would love to do this?!) for Christmas. They meet a sister act and team up to put on a show for a struggling inn. I love the song "Count Your Blessings Instead of Sheep" in this movie. Really it's just anything Bing sings.
Little Women
Another not-really-Christmas movie but I don't need a reason to watch Little Women. The movie starts out with Christmas in the March family during the war between the states, Thus the reason I watch it this time of year. Most people have heard of this movie, so won't elaborate. I will say though I have the older version too, but I love the Wynona Ryder version best.
What is Christmas without Charlie Brown? It brings one of the ever present songs in my head during the Christmas season, "Christmastime is Here". Linus telling the Christmas story from the KJV version account in Luke 2, Ahh, classic Christmas. And yes, we have cartoon Christmas movies, that we love. We are a cartoon-y couple anyway (Robin Hood anyone?)
Avonlea Christmas
If you've been around this blog for any amount of time, you've probably heard me mention Road to Avonlea before. This is such a great family friendly show, by the producers of the beloved Anne of Green Gables series. Avonlea (as we affectionately call it around here) is such a homey show to me. I will warn that it is quite the investment, it's cheapest to buy the whole set at once. Actually I purchased them last year around this time, while they were on sale on Amazon.
The Christmas movie is not part of the set. I purchased it separate and it takes place after the whole series.
The Christmas Card
This is about the only Hallmark Christmas movie that doesn't get on my nerves. It's about an American soldier in the Middle East who receives a Christmas card from a girl in a small town. When he is sent home on leave, he decides to track down the girl. He spends the Christmas holiday with the girl and her parents, but they don't know he received a Christmas card from her. He works in their lumber yard, and in typical Hallmark fashion, they fall in love. Working Man and I enjoy watching this together.
Meet Me in St. Louis
This is one of the non-typical Christmas movies I watch. The reason being, Judy Garland sings the iconic "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" in this film. It actually covers a whole year in an early 1900's home in St. Louis. Family bond is strong, grandfather lives with them. Marjorie Main plays the cook, and anything she plays in is great. It's a musical, a family adventure, a love story.
The Homecoming
The tv series The Waltons was started after this movie aired and became popular. This is the original Walton's movie. And it's centered around Christmas. But boy are we glad when the series aired they changed Mama, Daddy and Grandpa! My sister-in-law and I always joke around about "My Christmas Cactus!" the way Mama Walton says it in her gravely voice. If you enjoy the Waltons then you'll probably enjoy this movie.
Holiday Inn
This story by Irving Berlin is actually better then his White Christmas in our opinion. And the story isn't just about Christmas but about every holiday, so sometimes we watch it after Christmas or right after the new year. Working Man watches it with me despite the fact that it is a musical (he forgets that until we start watching).
Bing Crosby plays a showbiz man who leaves it all to open an Inn in Connecticut that only opens on holidays. The Bingster sings the beloved "White Christmas" in this black and white film from 1942.
White Christmas
I had this movie and then got rid of it because I really hate the wierd choreography part that I feel has nothing to do with the main story line. There are a couple of old movies that do this same thing (Singing in the Rain) and I don't get it. But I love the other parts, so I picked it up again.
Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye start up a show business act after the war and travel to Vermont (by train, who else would love to do this?!) for Christmas. They meet a sister act and team up to put on a show for a struggling inn. I love the song "Count Your Blessings Instead of Sheep" in this movie. Really it's just anything Bing sings.
Little Women
Another not-really-Christmas movie but I don't need a reason to watch Little Women. The movie starts out with Christmas in the March family during the war between the states, Thus the reason I watch it this time of year. Most people have heard of this movie, so won't elaborate. I will say though I have the older version too, but I love the Wynona Ryder version best.
Since You Went Away
The last of my non-Christmas films on my Christmas watching list is a movie from 1944 starring Claudette Cobert and Shirley Temple as a teenager. It's a movie about life on the home front during WWII. Anne Hilton (Colbert) helps her two daughter through the heartbreak of war as their husband and father is away at war. This movie ends with Christmas and the news that he is coming home.
Samantha An American Girl Holiday
I grew up reading the original American girl books. And I always loved the Christmas books. I hadn't watched this for a few years but watched it again recently. A Victorian girl who lives with her GrandMary travels to New York City to live with her Uncle Gard and Aunt Cornelia. Through a series of events her three friends who were servants next to Grandmary end up in a dirty orphanage in New York City. Samantha rescues them, and in turn receives a grand
TV Christmas Specials:
If you enjoy a good laugh, then maybe you should look into Duck Dynasty. We don't always care for their crudeness on some episodes, but we like watching this episode at Christmas. Uncle Si, the Christmas elf, Jase the Light man, Phil and Kay's hunt for the Perfect Christmas tree, and it all ends with Perduckin and sweet potato pie!
Little House on the Prairie's:
The Christmas they Never Forgot
Some Little House on the Prairie tends to seem repititious to me but I enjoy the Christmas movies. All the Children come home for Christmas to Walnut Grove and become stranded because of a blizzard, albeit unrealistic. (climbing out the upstairs window to get to the barn to bring the presents in? Dangerous!!!) Each person shares their favorite Christmas memory, while the blizzard roars outside.
Christmas at Plum Creek
This one takes place during the beginning of the series. It's their first Christmas on the prairie and Mr. Edwards makes it a fun one, telling stories and bringing gifts.
Andy Griffith \Season 1\ Christmas Story
If I remember right, this is the only Andy Griffith Christmas episode. Mayberry's "Scrooge" has a bootlegger thrown in jail for Christmas, so Andy, Barney and the gang celebrate Christmas in the most unusual way.
The Waltons \Season 5\ The Best Christmas
Mama wants this to be the best Christmas because it may be their last together, but everything seems to fall apart. Family stranded away from home because of a snowstorm, a limb comes through the Church roof, but everyone manages to get home for Christmas.
My Top Three Favorite Christmas Movies
Christmas in ConnecticutBarbara Stanwyck plays columnist Elizabeth Lane who shares homemaking tips and festive meal plans, supposedly from her connecticut farm, with her husband and baby. But things get muddled up when her boss decides to come to her Connecticut home for Christmas, along with a handsome war hero. It's a hilarious film from 1945, of borrowed babies, A Honkey Donkey secrect cook, numerous late night weddings that flop, and a grand love story with a soldier. It's truly one of my favorites.
How the Grinch Stole Christmas
Everyone loves the Green Grinch of Christmas, written by Dr. Seuss. We watch the old Cartoon version every year, with Max and his antler, Cindy Loo Whoo, and the Grinch whose Heart was "too small". I do not care for, nor recommend the people version with Jim Carey.
It's a Wonderful Life
Good old Jimmy Stewart! Watching this movie or at least part of it on Christmas eve is always a tradition, from when I was a little girl and we would watch it in the basement with Dad, staying up way too late, to now when I have it on video so we can watch whenever we want. Every life is wonderful, everything is for a reason, family is for loving, and Christmas is for sharing.
I hope you found some new movies to look for this Christmas! I'm sure some of them you could find on You-tube or Netflix. For me, I love the old movies, the new ones they put out just don't have the same Christmas charm as the old ones. So enjoy making memories and traditions with these Movies on my Christmas Shelf.
What are some of your favorite Christmas movies? Or books? (I enjoy The Christmas Shoes)
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