Its 2024 and we are living in Estonia. It's December and it is cold. We have the tree up and trimmed, lights strung everywhere, and the fireplace is lit. Bing Crosby is on the record player and the coca is hot and sweet. BUT there is NO SNOW! It is our third holiday season here and the first without snow. I'd become accustomed to white Christmases in our short time here and it feels a bit off without the fresh powder on the ground reflecting the little light we do get this time of year. But we persevere and bundle up for our cozy season as best as we can. It is in that spirit I'd like to tell you about some of the movies and shows I like to watch this time of year.

 

Die Hard.
 

First, let me get this out of the way. Die Hard is a Christmas movie if you want it to be. I used to lean heavy in to defending its status but have since backed off. Yes, it takes place during Christmas, but other than that, I don't get the nostalgia and warmth of home from watching it. It’s just a good movie that can be enjoyed any time of year. If you want to steadfastly claim it is a Christmas movie, that is fine with me - you do you. But, in that same token, Lethal Weapon is also a Christmas movie.

 

The go-tos.

These are some that we always watch this time of year, and they really don't require much of an explanation. Christmas Vacation is my favorite and Home Alone is amazing too. So is Home Alone 2, Scrooged, White Christmas, and the entire menagerie of nostalgic Christmas heavy movies. A Christmas Story will do in a pinch, but it isn't my favorite as it is a level of nostalgia a bit before my time.

 

T.V.

Here's where I go off the beaten path a little bit. Christmas episodes from T.V. shows I could endlessly re-watch this time of year. The West Wing had 7 seasons in total, 4 great ones from when Aaron Sorkin was still involved. Each of the Christmas episodes from those first four seasons are spectacular and can really dig up some emotion in even the scroogiest of us. They deal with some heavy stuff in a way that is both poignant and heartwarming and I recommend them wholeheartedly. There are other good shows with fun Christmas episodes to check out and too many to list here. Don't forget about them - if you have a favorite show, let me recommend you check out the Christmas episodes if you're in the mood for something different.

 

So Bad.
 

Another thing I like to check out are the "so bad it's good" section. There is no better example than Deck The Halls. This Danny DeVito & Matthew Broderick disaster of a movie is so ridiculously bad that it fills me with warmth as I marvel at its brilliance. You could add Jingle All The Way here too, but it might actually just be good enough to where you could enjoy it on its own merits, but Arnold and Sinbad have to count for something. Check these it out if you haven't!

 

My List.

Lastly, and because so many of my readers enjoy lists, here is - in no particular order - my recommendations for holiday viewing:

Christmas Vacation
Home Alone
Home Alone 2
Scrooged
White Christmas
Deck the Halls
Jingle All The Way
West Wing seasons 1-4 Christmas Episodes