(featured image: Pacer graphic / Bethany Collins)

There are many Christmas movies I love to watch throughout the Christmas season. This is a list of my top ten favorite Christmas movies in no specific order.

• A Christmas Carol (2009)

This was the first movie I remember seeing in theaters. My grandfather took me and my sisters to see A Christmas Carol. I fell in love with the movie immediately. Ever since then, my family watches it when we put up the Christmas tree.

The movie gives me a cozy, warm feeling inside, maybe because the ending is so good. It’s the story of a man who has a change of heart and becomes loved by many people after he confronts his past, present and future.

• It’s a Wonderful Life (1946)

I do not expect many people to know this movie, but my mom grew up watching it, and because her birthday is on Dec. 24, we watch it every Christmas Eve.

Like A Christmas Carol, this movie gives me a cozy, warm feeling. In the film, George Bailey faces a financial crisis and decides to end his life. Clarence, an angel, saves George and shows him what life would look like if he had never been born. In the end, George rethinks his decision, and the town comes together to give him money so he can escape his financial troubles.

Seeing the community come together to help him is heartwarming. It shows how much people love and appreciate him.

• Klaus (2019)

I typically do not like newer Christmas movies, and I am not a fan of most Netflix films, but Klaus takes the cake. The ending gives me a mix of sadness and happiness, hard to explain, but you have to see it for yourself.

Klaus is a selfish man used to living in luxury. Because of his laziness, his father sends him to the worst town imaginable. There, he meets a woodsman, and they begin delivering presents to children. This brings together a community divided by hate.

At the end of the movie, Klaus passes away, but every year on Christmas Eve, he appears to deliver presents.

• Home Alone (1990) and Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (1992)

Home Alone one and two are great movies. If I were to make a list of the worst Christmas movies, it would include every other Home Alone sequel, and I do not plan on changing my mind about that.

In the first film, Kevin is left home alone while his family goes out of town for Christmas. While they try to get back to him, he sets up traps for two men attempting to rob his house.

The second movie is similar, except Kevin gets lost and ends up in New York. The two robbers from the first film escape and also end up in New York. Unfortunately for them, they run into Kevin and try to get revenge, which seems foolish given what happened the first time.

These two movies are entertaining and ones I enjoy watching every year.

• National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation (1989)

Most Christmas movies have a message behind them, but this one does not. It is hilarious and one of my personal favorites.

Clark wants a big family Christmas that ends in disaster, and when it seems things cannot get worse, his cousin kidnaps his boss. His boss had cut Christmas bonuses, something employees depended on. Realizing the impact, he decides to give everyone their bonus.

I think everyone should watch this movie at least once. I put it on every year for my Christmas party, and everyone loves it.

• The Santa Clause (1994)

The Santa Clause reminds me of my childhood. I remember putting in a VHS tape and watching all the commercials before the movie started. Two I distinctly remember were for The Santa Clause and Elf. Not only is this a good movie, but it’s extremely nostalgic.

Scott Calvin becomes Santa Claus by accident. He has one year to prepare for Christmas, which becomes a crazy year. His hair turns white, he grows a beard and gains weight, transforming into the perfect Santa.

This movie is fun and one I watch every year. And maybe this is an unpopular opinion, but I love Neil’s sweaters.

• Frosty the Snowman (1969)

If you go to the store, you can buy a multipack featuring Frosty the Snowman, Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and more. I absolutely love Frosty the Snowman. I have never met one person who dislikes these movies.

A magician visits a school to perform tricks, but they don’t work. He throws away his hat, and the kids place it on their snowman. Because the hat is magic, Frosty comes to life. He then goes on an adventure to the North Pole so he won’t melt.

This movie brings major nostalgia. Every year when I was a kid, my siblings and I would decorate gingerbread houses—which never turned out great—while this movie played in the background.

• A Christmas Story (1983)

A Christmas Story is fun to watch. The newer one is also really good, but also really sad.

The first movie is about the protagonist’s childhood, and the second follows him as an adult trying to figure out Christmas after his father passes away. The second movie ties into the first in a really cool way.

Both movies are really good. They have a few cringe moments, but overall they’re enjoyable. I watch them every year, usually among the first Christmas movies I turn on.

• Christmas with the Kranks (2004)

This is another favorite of mine. Luther and Nora plan to skip Christmas and go on a cruise since their daughter is away, but she tells them last minute she will be flying in on Christmas Eve.

The best part of the movie is the subplot. Luther and Nora’s neighbor is sick, and it is predicted to be her last Christmas. Luther ends up giving the couple his nonrefundable cruise ticket since he can no longer go.

This movie is meant to be happy and funny, but I find it sad because of the subplot. Still, it is a really good movie I enjoy during Christmas.

• Arthur Christmas (2011)

I love this movie and think it is really underrated. Although I enjoy it, I hate how everything relies on technology.

Santa is supposed to be magic — he shouldn’t need high-tech gadgets. Despite that, it’s a good movie.