Crisp air and twinkling lights, the holiday season arrives at last. Some will deck the halls, some will bake cookies, but almost all will settle down on a snowy day for a classic Christmas movie. But when you finally press “play,” which one will you be watching? And which one deserves the title of the best Christmas movie of all time? 

Well, there are many crowd favorites when it comes to Christmas movies; each family and each student will no doubt have their own opinion as to which is the best. 

According to IMDb, the most-watched Christmas movie is “It’s a Wonderful Life”. This is followed by “Home Alone”, “Die Hard”, “A Christmas Carol”, and “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer”, rounding out the top five. 

For Woodland, the results vary as to whether most people agree with IMDb or not. The most popular movies from IMDb’s list that Woodland seems to agree with are “Home Alone” and “Die Hard”. 

“Home Alone” tells the story of a boy who is left at home while his family goes away on vacation, and it is up to him to defend his house from burglars on Christmas Eve. 

“My favorite Christmas movies have always been Home Alone,” said Chyenne Haupler, a Christmas lover. “It’s a movie I’ve watched with my family every year and brings back memories from my childhood around Christmas time.” 

Other favorites that round out the top five for Woodland include “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation,” “Elf,” and “How the Grinch Stole Christmas”. 

While these movies are not in IMDb’s top five, “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation” comes in sixth place, and “Elf” comes in seventh on the list. “How the Grinch Stole Christmas,” however, seems to be an unpopular favorite. In IMDb’s list, it comes in at number 18 on the all-time watch list for the most popular Christmas movie. 

“Elf” tells the story of a boy who accidentally ended up in Santa’s Workshop, even though he was human, and then has to go to New York City on a hunt for his real father. 

“I love ‘Elf’ because it’s so classic and so quotable,” said Christmas Enthusiast Emma DeGeorge. 

While many are fans of “Elf,” “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation” is also a classic and a fan-favorite beloved among the Woodland students. “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation” is all about a family who wishes to throw a “fun old-fashioned family Christmas,” and must band together in order to survive the chaos of the holiday season. 

“It is a classic in my family,” said spirited Christmas senior Emma Bunk. “We always watch it every year to get into the holiday spirit.” 

Lastly, “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” is the story of a Who, who lives just north of the mythical town of “Whoville,” he wishes to stop Christmas by stealing the Whos’ presents, but Cindy Lou Who must change his heart to believe in the spirit of Christmas once again. 

“It’s so fun to watch, and it never gets old. I like the storyline, seeing how his childhood shaped him and how his heart grows three times in size at the end,” explained “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” lover Sadie Bronn. “The music is also fun, and the movie has a good message, making it a classic. 

So while there are many popular movies this holiday season,these five seem to be among the most popular here at Woodland. Regardless of whether they may top IMDb charts, Woodlands’ own opinions have some of the classic Christmas movies from around the world, and have some unique opinions about what movie each student will be settling down to watch this Christmas.  

https://www.imdb.com/list/ls000096828