Every year, I find it hard to get into the Christmas spirit. The holidays are stressful and chaotic, but there is something warming about cuddling up in a cozy blanket with a cup of hot chocolate and watching Christmas movies with my family. Here’s my ranking of the best Christmas movies to get you into a holiday spirit. 

5. “How The Grinch Stole Christmas” (live action from 2000)

As a child, my father would sit by my bed and read this book to me every night on Christmas Eve. It wasn’t until I was older that I had the attention span to sit through the movie. “How The Grinch Stole Christmas” follows the life of the Grinch, who lives in an isolated mountain with his dog, Max, and creates a master plan to steal Christmas from the rest of Whoville — putting an end to the annoying cheeriness once and for all. The movie is heartwarming, nostalgic and the perfect way to drain any Christmas hatred.

4. “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation” 

Christmas is the perfect season for a family vacation, and that’s exactly what Clark Griswold wanted in “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation.” Instead, the family was met with a hilarious amount of chaos. The movie is stressful to watch when everything that could possibly go wrong, goes wrong. My family has always loved this movie, even putting up trinkets and decorations from it all over our house during Christmas.

3. “A Christmas Story”

One of the only movies that can teleport me back to the nostalgia of my childhood is “A Christmas Story.” The movie was a constant family favorite that we would watch every Christmas Eve. The movie is narrated by adult Ralphie Parker looking back on a specific Christmas during his childhood. More than anything, he wanted a “Red Ryder Range 200 shot BB gun,” which his family and teachers disapproved of. This created the now iconic and often used in our house line, “You’ll shoot your eye out, kid.” The movie shows the reality of family chaos, winter struggles and childhood wishes, while sharing some of the joy the holidays can bring. 

2. “Elf”

“Elf” is the perfect Christmas comedy. It focuses on Buddy The Elf who, for years, feels left out and different from the rest of the elves in The North Pole; he later finds out it is because he’s actually a human. He tries to mend his family relationships and adjust to a normal human life in New York City, while also spreading Christmas cheer by singing loud for all to hear. The movie encompasses one of the cutest Christmas love stories and the perfect amount of cheer to get you into the Christmas spirit while making you giggle endlessly. 

1. “The Nightmare Before Christmas”

Although it is not the typical Christmas movie, “The Nightmare Before Christmas” was one of the first Christmas movies I truly fell in love with. The movie has something for everyone: a mixture of Halloween frights and Christmas cheer, hints of romance, comedy and sadness. The movie follows Jack Skellington, “The Pumpkin King,” who’s becoming bored of the same annual Halloween celebrations. He and his canine companion, Zero, accidentally stumble upon Christmas Town, which is the exact opposite of everything they’ve ever known. After exploring the world of lights, gifts and smiles, Jack decides to bring Christmas to his hometown. This movie has a heartwarming sense of love and cheer to it that will bring out feelings of gratitude and true Christmas spirit.