What’s a better way to get into the Christmas spirit than watching movies by a fire? Gather your family and friends, make some hot chocolate, and choose any of these movies to get yourself ready for the holiday!

1.  “Elf”

“Elf,” starring Will Ferrell, is about a baby named Buddy who was taken to the North Pole and was raised in Santa’s workshop by elves. Several years later when Buddy learns that he is a human, he decides to travel to New York City to meet his birth father. He goes through an emotional rollercoaster as he tries to bond with his father and maneuver the busy streets of New York in his elf outfit. The movie is filled with emotions and romance, but above all, “Elf” is a humorous holiday movie which will definitely give you a good laugh and put you in a happy mood for the holidays!

2. “The Santa Clause”

Traveling across the country as Santa Claus, the protagonist Scott Calvin has to deal with the repercussions after his night out as the big man himself. After the real Santa falls off of Scott’s roof, he finds a business card with The Santa Clause on the back informing him that he will be the new Santa. Scott takes his son out with him as he delivers presents, although the morning after is confusing for Scott and causes a strain in his relationship with his son as he tries to tell him it never occurred. The movie starts to become emotional, but it quickly picks back up into the Holiday spirit as Scott continues to be Santa and brings joy to children everywhere, especially his own.

3. “A Charlie Brown Christmas”

If you’re trying to get into the holiday mood with a Christmas movie, “A Charlie Brown Christmas” is a classic that never fails to disappoint. This animated film has a vintage feel as it portrays a Christmas story featuring the original cast of the “Peanuts.” All throughout the movie there is Christmas cheer even when Charlie Brown himself feels down during the holidays. The movie focuses on the holiday concert that the Peanuts gang is preparing for and the iconic little tree that Charlie Brown brings back for everyone. The cute animated film shows some holiday magic and will be sure to put you in a happy holiday mood!

4. “Deck The Halls”

“Deck The Halls” is about the rivalry between two neighbors who both share a love for Christmas and who struggle to maintain sanity as they go above and beyond to make each other’s lives difficult. The new neighbors go all out with their outdoor lights and attract a show every night by blasting their loud Christmas music from dusk till dawn. This causes a strain with the neighbors across the street and results in their non-stop bickering that eventually drives both of their families away. This movie starts as a comedy and slowly transitions into a holiday drama, but like all great movies, it has a great resolution at the end!

5. “Christmas With The Kranks”

“Christmas With The Kranks” stars the Christmas-crazed main character, Mrs. Krank, who always goes above and beyond to put her all into the holiday season. With her daughter gone for the holiday for the first time, her husband suggests that they skip Christmas completely and go on a cruise. This causes friction in the community as the Kranks will cause the street to lose the award for the best decorated street as well as affect the locals they donate to every year when they purchase their Christmas necessities. The community tries to do everything that they can to try and convince the Kranks to decorate, but it only turns into a battle between the two. However, when their daughter calls and tells them she’s coming home for Christmas, the Kranks panic and rely on the community to help prepare for her return. Overall, the movie has a humorous, light-hearted theme and ultimately has a happy, feel-good ending.

6. “The Year Without a Santa Claus”

“The Year Without a Santa Claus” is one of the best stop-motion animated movies of the 70s. Mrs. Claus tells us about the time Santa Claus felt sick, and feeling a lack of Christmas spirit in the world, he decided to cancel Christmas. His two head elves, Jingle and Jangle, decide to take it upon themselves to find examples of good Christmas spirit in the world in order to show Santa Claus that people do truly care. Before they do that, the two elves face trouble with the Miser brothers, Cold Miser and Heat Miser, and their sick reindeer Dasher. When Santa announces he is taking his holiday, children across the world decide to give him presents and honor him. After being heart-warmed by the children, Santa decides to not cancel Christmas. This is a classic Christmas movie that will for sure get anyone in the Christmas spirit.

7. “Home Alone 2”

There’s nothing like Christmas in New York City, and nothing says New York City more than The Plaza Hotel, which just so happens to be the setting of “Home Alone 2.” Once again, the main character, Kevin, ends up all by himself on Christmas, except this time Kevin loses track of his father at the airport and ends up all alone in the Big Apple and sneaks his way into a room at The Plaza Hotel. While in New York, Kevin discovers that the Sticky Bandits are running around New York as well. Kevin eventually stops them from robbing an elderly man’s toy store, just in time to save Christmas. With the help of Kevin’s hilarious pranks, “Home Alone 2” is the perfect movie to watch with the family.

8. “Fred Claus”

“Fred Claus” is not normally the first movie that pops into one’s head when thinking about Christmas movies, but it is still one of my favorites. “Fred Claus” is about Santa Claus’s lesser known brother, Fred. When Fred faces an issue regarding money, he turns to his brother to help him out financially, who says Fred needs to come to the North Pole to collect the money. At first, Fred manages to ruin Christmas, but he becomes an unlikely hero who ends up saving Christmas. This non-traditional holiday movie is hilarious and heart-warming as the holiday helps repair the broken relationship between the two brothers.

9. “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation”

If you’re looking for a good laugh while also getting in the holiday spirit, look no further than “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation,” because trust me, “yule crack up!” The father, Clark Griswold, is trying to have a “good old family Christmas.” However, things never run smoothly for the family, which ultimately creates some interesting adventures during their Christmas Vacation. While Clark has good intentions with everything he does, his plans tend to fail, such as stringing 25,000 twinkle lights on the house and causing a city power outage, buying a Christmas tree without having proper tools to cut it down, and planning a disastrous Christmas Eve dinner. This movie will make your family vacations seem great and will definitely make the entire family laugh.

Anna Sullivan is an Entertainment Editor and Adriana Guidi is a Perspectives Editor for The Patriot and jcpatriot.com.