Some of my fondest childhood Christmas memories involve watching holiday classics with my family and enjoying hot chocolate and Christmas cookies (most of my fond memories involved some sort of cookie).

Although everyone's schedule is hectic this time of year, take time to relax and enjoy these holiday favorites with your family.

FOR MOM AND DAD

It's a Wonderful Life (1946)
Starring James Stewart, Donna Reed
A good but slightly ineffectual man tries to off himself after an error that really wasn't his fault. In Christmas carol fashion, his crusty-but-lovable guardian angel shows up to give him a tour of the world without his presence, and it isn't a pretty place.


A Christmas Carol (1951)
Kathleen Harrison, Alastair Sim
This is the desert-island choice of the many versions of A Christmas Carol, with a magnificent, full-bodied portrayal of Ebenezer Scrooge by Alistair Sim that leaves everyone else in the dust. In this adaptation of the Charles Dickens' classic, "A Christmas Carol," a remake of the 1938 film, miser Ebenezer Scrooge learns the true meaning of Christmas and reforms his heartless and money-grubbing ways after being visited on Christmas Eve by four Ghosts: his old business partners Jacob and Marley, the Ghost of Christmas Past, the Ghost of Christmas Present, and the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come.


White Christmas (1954)
Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye, Rosemary Clooney
Two talented song-and-dance men team up after the war to become one of the hottest acts in show business. A veritable treasury of Irving Berlin classics, "White Christmas" includes "Sisters," "Blue Skies," and of course, "White Christmas." Academy Award Nominations: Best Song ("Count Your Blessings Instead of Sheep").

Miracle on 34th Street (1947)
Maureen O'Hara, John Payne, Edmund Gwenn, Natalie Wood
Kris Kringle--unbeknownst to cynical, market-minded adults, the real Santa Claus-- is hired to play himself at Macy's Department Store, New York City. His gentle, joyous spirit, and magical powers, soon transforms those around him, including a little girl and her world-weary mother.

Planes, Trains & Automobiles (1987)
Steve Martin, John Candy
Bittersweet farce about a businessman trying to get home for  Thanksgiving who encounters disaster at every turn and has to  share most of it with a lout who becomes his steadfast companion.  Martin mostly plays straight to the overbearing Candy, but  writer-director Hughes refuses to make either one a caricature--which
keeps this amiable film teetering between slapstick shenanigans and compassionate comedy.


FOR THE KIDS

Frosty the Snowman (1969)
Jimmy Durante Narrates
When Frosty the Snowman is accidentally brought to life, he must weather a storm of adventures and the dastardly plans of an evil magician before he can find safety and happiness at the North Pole.

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (1964)
Burl Ives Narrates
The North Pole's favorite reindeer, here an animated puppet, saves Christmas when a big storm threatens to keep Santa indoors.


The Little Drummer Boy (1968)
Jose Ferrer, Greer Garson
In this animated classic, a lonely little boy discovers the greatest gift of all when he visits a manger in Bethlehem


FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY

Jingle All the Way (1996)
Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sinbad, Phil Hartman
Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sinbad star in this frivolous comedy about two fathers who are trying to locate and purchase the same hugely popular action toy on Christmas Eve.

National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (1989)
Chevy Chase, Beverly D'Angelo, Randy Quaid
Clark and Ellen Griswald prepare for a nice Christmas with the kids, when their home is invaded by backwoods cousin Eddie and his brood, along with assorted other crazy and/or stuffy relatives.

About the Author
The author, Kellie Head is the thankful mother of six and Publishing Editor of http://ParentingHumor.com . Instead of telling our readers “how to,” we tell them “Me too!

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