Through the years, certain movies and shows have become synonymous with the holiday season. Dozens of staple movies exist within the hundreds of holiday movies available to watch, but which movies should be on the top of your watchlist this season?

5. National Lampoons Christmas Vacation (1989)
National Lampoons Christmas Vacation follows the Griswald family, specifically, Clark Griswald who intends on making the perfect Christmas for his family through any means necessary. Throughout the whole movie, Clark is waiting on his highly anticipated Christmas bonus which he will use to put in a pool for his family. This classic comedy features Chevy Chase as Clark and tells a story that will keep you laughing for the whole hour and a half.

4. Arthur Christmas (2011)
Although most movies on this list are classics that most people have likely seen, Arthur Christmas is one that is by no means a classic, being released in 2011, but it checks all the right boxes that make a classic Christmas movie. The movie follows Arthur, the clumsy but fun-loving son of Santa, Grand-Santa, the father of Santa who was the previous Santa, and Bryony, a highly trained wrapping elf. These three embark on a mission to deliver the final present of Christmas to a child that is missed by Santa. While Arthur Christmas is not often played on TV stations, you can stream it on almost every streaming service available.

3. A Christmas Story (1983)
A Christmas Story follows the misadventures of Ralphie Parker as he tries to survive the holiday season, and persuade his parents to get him the coveted Red Ryder Air Rifle. A Christmas Story is a movie almost everyone has seen, given it is famously marathoned for 24 hours straight on Christmas Eve on TNT and TBS. A Christmas Story is offered on nearly every service other than Netflix.
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2. A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965)
Although not a movie, the Charlie Brown Christmas Special is a classic story following the peanuts gang on their adventure to finish a Christmas play. Everything about the special is simply iconic and is a must-watch every holiday season. This special runs non-stop on multiple channels throughout December, or you can stream it on Apple TV+.

Elf (2003)
This comedy, starring Will Ferrell, follows Buddy the Elf, a human adopted and raised by elves, who travels to New York on a quest to find his real father. Although it was only released in 2003, Elf has risen to the top of everyone’s list as simply the best holiday movie. You can find Elf on almost every streaming service, although it has been taken off Netflix.

Whatever you choose to watch, be sure to invite some friends and get cozy. This winter break is sure to be cold and snowy, a perfect time to stay in and get in the holiday spirit.