So many Christmas movies get made every year, but only a select bunch stand the test of time and get watched each and every festive season.

We’ve put together a rundown of the classic movies that are sure to make many watchlists during the holidays.

Home Alone (1990)

This family comedy is a festive classic that can be watched time and time again by all generations. Who can resist watching eight-year-old Kevin (Macaulay Culkin) take down a couple of adult burglars with a series of ingenious booby traps? Or repeating catchphrases like, “Keep the change you filthy animal!” It isn’t a movie about Christmas but the fact it’s set during December means it’s a surefire way to get you into the holiday spirit.

Elf (2003)

A human elf in New York = a recipe for comedy gold. Will Ferrell’s Buddy travels from the North Pole to the Big Apple to find his biological father after discovering he is human. As he was raised by elves, it’s no surprise that Buddy doesn’t understand how human life works and a steep learning curve is in store! You can’t help but smile watching Buddy revamp Gimbels department store to make it more Christmassy.

The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992)

Charles Dickens’s classic tale of Ebenezer Scrooge and the Ghosts of Past, Present and Yet to Come has been told time and time again – but the one that rises above the rest is The Muppets’ hilarious musical version. Gonzo, pretending to be Dickens himself, forms a fun double act with Rizzo the Rat as the story’s narrators and who can forget Michael Caine acting alongside them as Scrooge?

The Holiday (2006)

It has tough competition from Love Actually (see below) but The Holiday is THE Christmas romcom. Kate Winslet’s Iris and Cameron Diaz’s Amanda are two unlucky-in-love women who swap homes for the holiday – Iris goes to Amanda’s luxury L.A. mansion and Amanda ends up in Iris’s tiny English cottage – although it comes with the added bonus of a handsome Jude Law! It’s rather predictable, but who cares? It’ll leave you feeling warm, fuzzy, and super festive!

Love Actually (2003)

Widely considered to be a modern Christmas staple, Richard Curtis’s ensemble romantic comedy is seriously star-studded, with famous faces including Emma Thompson, Hugh Grant, Colin Firth, Liam Neeson and the late Alan Rickman, to name just a few. The film features many interconnecting love stories set in the countdown to Christmas and the most unforgettable moments include Grant’s Prime Minister dancing to Jump (For My Love) by The Pointer Sisters, Andrew Lincoln declaring his love for Keira Knightley on cards at her doorstep, and Olivia Olson’s rendition of All I Want For Christmas Is You at school.

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