As the winter season is just around the corner, so are the cozy nights of watching festive holiday movies. It is always a welcomed treat to snuggle up with friends and family, warm up your hands on a mug full of hot cocoa, and relax while watching a loved holiday film. 

Mustangs can’t wait to get caught up on their holiday movie traditions! One Yorba Linda High School student, Ramzy Ali (9), says, “My favorite holiday movie is Home Alone! I like to watch it with my family every holiday season.” 

Some of the world’s all time top ten holiday films include: It’s a Wonderful Life, A Christmas Story, Elf, The Nightmare Before Christmas, The Santa Clause, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Home Alone, The Polar Express, A Charlie Brown Christmas, and Christmas Vacation. 

While some of these films are considered classics, such as It’s a Wonderful Life and A Charlie Brown Christmas, others have become timeless because of their cult following, such as The Nightmare Before Christmas and A Christmas Story. To see how enjoyable other people found these top ten films, the Rotten Tomatoes website offers detailed overviews of the movies with ratings and audience scores. The website also includes the year each movie was released, as well as the actors involved. For example, the website rates It’s a Wonderful Life at a 95% audience score, while A Charlie Brown Christmas received only a 70% audience rating. Other films such as The Nightmare Before Christmas received a 91% audience score, while A Christmas Story received an 88% audience score. 

The list of top ten holiday films includes the most watched movies of all time, but other holiday TV shows and films also satisfy the need for that warm Christmas feeling. Popular streaming services such as Netflix and Hulu offer selections tailored for your Christmas movie watching experience.

In addition, Disney+ has a dedicated holiday streaming section that was recently launched. This section includes many well-known Christmas/holiday movies and special episodes from classic Disney Channel originals and short films, along with brand new Disney+ originals. Some of these include: The Nightmare Before Christmas, Home Sweet Home Alone, Home Alone, Home Alone 2: Lost in the City, Home Alone 3, Jingle All the Way, High School Musical the Musical: The Series: The Holiday Special, The Christmas Star, I’ll be Home For Christmas, Santa Paws, Prep and Landing, Noelle, The Muppets Christmas Carol, Godmothered, The Nutcracker and the Four Realms, and Mickey’s Twice Upon a Christmas. 

So whether you’re in the mood for a holiday classic or maybe a new movie offered on a streaming service, grab your cup of cocoa and prepare to be entertained. Remember that no matter the movie, just spending time snuggled up with loved ones is the real holiday treat!