The holiday season is a feast for the senses. A split-second exposure to the scents of baking gingerbread or fresh pine can send us back to the child-like rush of anticipation and excitement that always seemed to surround Christmas. Similarly, the shimmer of Christmas lights on fresh-fallen snow, with breath rising in frozen clouds to a star-scattered sky always fills me with wonder. My analytical adult mind could easily be distracted with thoughts of electrical safety and wondering how much the hydro bill is going to go up, but that never seems to happen.
We all build holiday traditions around these sensory inputs. All of these smells, sights and sounds work together to make the season special. We continue traditions begun by our ancestors before us, and we make new traditions as lifestyles and technology evolve. Movies are a relatively recent addition to the cultural repertoire, but many have already become engrained as “holiday classics”. However, this is a bit of a debated topic. It seems that everyone has their own ideas of what constitutes the “perfect” holiday movie.
With that said, Joseph and I have our own ideas about which movies truly are holiday classics. So, without further ado, here is our list:
- The Muppet Christmas Carol – most people seem to put some version of Charles Dickens’ classic Christmas story somewhere on their list of holiday movie classics. Whether it be the Alistair Sims’ black and white version, or the technologically-driven Jim Carrey edition, this tale of redemption and Christmas spirit strikes a chord in many of us. I, personally, absolutely love the 1992 Jim Henson edition, with Michael Caine as Scrooge. I think that the humour and songs really add to Dickens’ storytelling, and in my family, it’s not truly Christmas until we’ve seen this together.
- A Charlie Brown Christmas – this one is Joseph’s favourite. The true messages of Christmas (love and salvation) shine through the rudimentary animation and simple dialogue and songs. Although short in length, this movie really does have a lot of Christmas spirit. I know that the soundtrack also ranks highly on many people’s lists of “Christmas favourites”.
- Die Hard – this may not make most people’s lists of “Holiday classics”, but Joseph and his brother have a standing date every Christmas Eve with the couch, a bowl of popcorn and Bruce Willis. While it may seem a little strange to go from a group of charming animated characters singing around a small, sad little Christmas tree to “Yippee-ki-yay motherfuckers”, it is just this kind of tradition that makes Christmas celebrations special and unique to each family. So although I don’t necessarily agree with the sentiments in this one, I fully respect and support it’s place on the list.
- National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation – it is the inimitable and unflagging Christmas spirit of Clark Griswold that earn this movie a place on the list. Despite a dysfunctional family and a hilarious series of mishaps, Clark Griswold really knows how to celebrate the holidays! I know that Joseph attempts to emulate that every year, and it is one of the things I love most about him. Also, who can’t help but love the classic “shitter’s full” scene?
We hope that you all take a moment to think about the traditions and movies that make the holidays special for you and your families, and enjoy these next hectic few days in the countdown to Christmas!