I love Christmas movies. I start watching them the day after Halloween. Luckily, the Hallmark channel starts showing them November 1st with its ‘Countdown to Christmas,’ and I set my DVR for all of my favorites – because I watch the same ones every year. Lifetime starts showing Christmas movies around Thanksgiving. It used to be called ‘Fa La La La Lifetime,’ which I loved, but it has changed to ‘It’s a Wonderful Lifetime.’ – not nearly as fun to say. The Family channel also shows Christmas movies, but my favorites are from Hallmark and Lifetime. Over the recent years, I have started purchasing my favorite Christmas movies on DVD, so I don’t have to fill up my DVR.

I have four favorite types of Christmas movies: the first is about someone from the big city who goes to a small town and Christmas makes them a better person, the second is about a person goes back in time to see that their life could have been better if they had chosen love over a career, the third is about a person who hires or tricks another person into being their fiancée or boyfriend to satisfy their parents, and the fourth is about someone who in engaged to the wrong person and is attracted to the newcomer in town who is the right person. Of course all of these movies have happy endings, and everyone in them are good people. It may sound corny and cliche, but these movies give me hope, make me want to be a better person and remind me of the true meaning of Christmas. So far I have watched Mrs Miracle, Eves’ Christmas, Farewell Mr Kringle, Moonlight and Mistletoe, Our first Christmas, This Christmas, Saint Maybe, A Dog Named Christmas, The Family Stone, Undercover Christmas, A Christmas Wish, Secret Santa, Trading Christmas, Home for the Holidays, A Season for Miracles, Have a Little Faith, Silver Bells, Fallen Angels, Finding John Christmas, A Christmas Visitor, The Christmas Pageant, Fred Claus, 4 Christmases, Comfort and Joy, A Carol Christmas, Christmas Caper, A Boyfriend for Christmas, Holiday in Handcuffs, The Christmas Card, and The Most Wonderful Time of the Year. My favorite of all of these is A Dog Named Christmas. It is about a a developmentally challenged young man who encourages his town to participate in the shelter’s ‘Adopt a Dog for Christmas program.’ It makes me cry every time I watch it.

I save my favorite Christmas movies, the classics, for Christmas Eve. I watch Miracle on 34th Street, White Christmas, Holiday Affair, and Holiday Inn. Sometimes I watch Miracle on 34th Street on Thanksgiving because it comes on after the parade, but this year I didn’t. This movie has become such a part of my Christmas tradition that when I go to New York City, I get SO excited when I see Macy’s. I like this movie because it’s about Santa Claus and I love Santa Claus. Also, Natalie Wood was fantastic, even as a child. I like White Christmas because of Bing Crosby. It’s about two army buddies who romance and work with two sisters. Holiday Inn also stars Bing Crosby and was actually the debut of the song White Christmas. It was out 12 years before the movie White Christmas, sort of a prequel – and I like it much better. Holiday Inn is about an Inn that is only open on holidays. Holiday Affair, my favorite of all Christmas movies, is a sweet story of a widow with a young son who is engaged to the wrong guy and attracted to a stranger who turns out to be the right guy – it stars Robert Mitchum and Janet Leigh.

I hope you find the Christmas spirit, as I have through these great Christmas movies, and keep it with you throughout the year. Merry Christmas!