It's the Happiest Season!

Whenever the weather gets cold and the nights grow long, I find myself wanting to fight it. I lament that by the time I finish work, twilight is approaching within the next half hour, limiting outdoor hikes and any access to vitamin D. 

I've talked a good bit about hygge on this blog, and this post will be added to the list. I read a book that talked about hygge and welcoming a slower season by embracing the darkness and the time indoors as a way to reinvent ourselves-- so that when the spring thaws and life is made new, we too may emerge anew. 

Our home is currently adorned with twinkle lights on any surface available-- wrapped with garland around every railing and on our mantle, our deck, and our front door. We have candles along the fireplace, pops of red, swags of garland over the windows in the bedroom, and a soft glow all around. I am trying to truly prepare myself in every way to hunker down for the long winter. 

One of my favorite things to do, especially at this time of year, is watch Christmas movies. My sister Elizabeth and I laughingly exchanged screenshots of the lists in our phone, filled with every Christmas movie we've seen and loved. Shells and I have been watching them cozied up by the tree in front of the fire or using a projector on the ceiling in our room (we got this projector a few months ago and were using it to screen movies on the fence in the backyard). 

Although my phone list is twice this long, I have assembled 15 must-watch Christmas movies (along with commentary).  

1) How the Grinch Stole Christmas (This is Shelley's favorite-- both the old cartoon and new cartoon versions, but we do not mention the unspeakable live action one.)

2) Christmas Vacation (My family, like most, quote this annually ("I don't KNOW Margot!"))

3) Home Alone & Home Alone Lost in New York (Okay, technically two, but both worthy of The List. Home Alone ties for first place as my favorite Christmas movie ever. Elizabeth, Paige, and I know the entire movie by heart, and spent much of my high school years trying to rewrite a new script for "Angels with Filthy Souls".)

4) It's a Wonderful Life (The other spot in my tied-for-favorite Christmas movie. Christmastime is not officially here for me until I've entered Bedford Falls, and I watch it every Christmas Eve.)

5) A Christmas Story (A classic, and while not my favorite on this list, still a must watch.)

6) A Christmas Carol (Shelley's favorite version is the Jim Carrey/Disney version. We used to go annually to see this and The Nutcracker downtown, and that version is my favorite!)

7) The Nativity Story (A lovely retelling of the birth of Jesus, and the ending makes me cry every single time because it is so pure and wholesome and beautiful.)

8) The Family Man (This is almost a delightfully odd, modern twist on It's a Wonderful Life. It has Nicolas Cage, which will be a deciding factor for most people either way.) 

9) The Santa Clause (Oh, how I wish this were real. Side note: the sleigh's cocoa/chocolate chip cookie dispenser belongs in my car, Arlandria. Why have they not done this yet? Screw bluetooth, I want a hot beverage dispenser!)

10) A Charlie Brown Christmas (Any time it snows, the soundtrack from this special plays in my head. I also love that it focuses on the true meaning of Christmas.) 

11) Happiest Season (A new Hulu movie-- Shells & I watched it the day it came out. Cheesy Christmas hijinks, Kristen Stewart, Pittsburgh, an LGBT love story that isn't abysmal or depressing, and queens from RuPaul's Drag Race singing "Must Be Santa"-- these are a few of my favorite things...)

12) The Holiday (This is adorable and charming and makes me want to spend Christmas in a cottage in the UK.)

13) Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (If you're going to watch a claymation special, this one should be it-- even though Santa is kind of a jerk, if this version is to be believed.)

14) Frosty the Snowman (Who doesn't love Frosty? If only we had a white Christmas... Do kids even have enough snow to build snowmen nowadays?!)

15) Miracle on 34th Street (Preferably the one from 1994 because Mara Wilson is a gem and it's the version Elizabeth and I watched on tape, so, nostalgia.) 

If you are looking for a good cocoa or wassail recipe, see my post from last year here-- it's the perfect accompaniment to a Christmas movie marathon! Hope you're all staying safe and cozy during this happiest of seasons!