25 Family-Friendly Christmas Classic Movies to Watch This Holiday Season
Watching Christmas movies under a cozy blanket with a cup of hot chocolate is a fun way to spend time with your family or friends. Classic movies often transport us back in time, reliving fond childhood memories and reflecting on simpler days.
Why not lean into the nostalgia?
Here are 25 classic, clean, and entertaining movies to put you in the Christmas spirit!
1) White Christmas
One of the best Christmas movies ever made, starring Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye as Wallace and Davis, two Army veterans and performers that team up to save the business of their beloved general Waverly. Matched with Rosemary Clooney and Vera-Ellen, this movie has a war story, romance, and incredible dance numbers.
2) Miracle on 34th Street (1947)
3) A Christmas Carol (1984)
4) Little Drummer Boy
5) Santa Claus is Coming to Town
Fred Astaire (narrator) and Mickey Rooney (Kris Kringle) come together as cartoons to tell the fictional story of how Santa Claus came to be. In this short movie, Santa coincidently chooses Christmas Eve to deliver gifts to children, as it is the “Holiest night of the year,” indicating the birth of our Savior.
6) A Charlie Brown Christmas
Rediscover a Christmas must-see! Based on the Peanuts comics, this 20-minute 1965 classic reminds us that Christ is the reason for the season!
7) The Bells of Saint Mary's
8) It’s a Wonderful Life
Directed by Frank Capra, a Catholic convert, this beloved film features Jimmy Stewart, Donna Reed, and Henry Travers.
Stewart plays George Bailey, a not-so-good banker who lost $8,000 on Christmas Eve during the Great Depression. He is in such distress that he yells at his wife and children, storms out and they begin to pray. When he utters the words, “I wish I had never been born,” his Guardian Angel comes down to show a replay of his life and the impact he has made on others.
9) Dolly Parton's Christmas of Many Colors: Circle of Love
10) A Reason for the Season
11) The Polar Express
12) Elf
13) The Princess Switch 3
There are three movies in this rom-com Netflix series. However, in the third installment, the “Star of Peace,” a priceless (fictional) Saint Nicholas relic loaned by the Vatican, is stolen. The trio must retrieve it before the Christmas festival in Montenaro. Aside from this challenge, a story of childhood wounds, reconciliation, and love at Christmastime unfolds.
14) Borrowed Hearts
15) Frosty the Snowman
16) Meet Me in St. Louis
This MGM classic stars Judy Garland, one of four sisters who journey to the 1904 St. Louis World’s Fair. The classic Christmas song, "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,"
was first introduced in this film.
17) Home Alone
18) Home Alone 2: Lost in New York
(Arguably the better film. New York City at Chrismas is magical!)
19) 12 Dates of Christmas
20) The Chronicles of Narnia
21) Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmas
Gather the kids around for a fun movie, where we are taken on three Disney journeys to discover the meaning of Christmas.
22) Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
23) Crown for Christmas
A Hallmark favorite, this movie showcases an older sister, played by Danica McKellar, who sacrificed to raise her younger siblings. She gets the chance of a lifetime to be the governess of a King’s daughter, who still mourns the loss of her mother. The King must marry the woman chosen for him, but he learns a lesson about love, duty, and family during Christmas.
24) The Christmas Shoes
25) The Bishop’s Wife
I grew up watching many of these classic movies with loved ones who have now passed on.
As an adult, hitting the “play” button takes me back to my grandparents' house, full of warmth and love. I hope this list brings some joy and laughs into your home!