Top 5 Favorite Christmas Romances

I start getting excited for Christmas around July and even though I pretend to be annoyed, I secretly love when the radio starts playing Christmas music the day after Halloween. Sure it’s just an excuse for rampant consumerism, but I love the holidays. I come from a large family with lots of traditions. (We actually gather around the piano on Christmas Eve and sing carols, how cute is that?) One of our traditions is to screen our favorite Christmas movies in the weeks leading up to the big day. It just doesn’t quite feel like Christmas until I’ve seen Will Ferrell in a giant elf costume or watched a claymation reindeer befriend a yeti. It’s no surprise that most (if not all) Christmas movies feature romance. After all Christmas is a time rife with warm feelings, mistletoe, and a whole lot of spiked egg nog. In honor of this most wonderful time of the year, I thought I’d count down my Top 5 Favorite, Must-See, It’s-Not-Christmas-Until-I’ve-Watched-These, Romances.

5. Meet Me in St. Louis. Chalk this one up to geographical bias (I’m from St. Louis), but this 1944 Judy Garland film never fails to make me laugh and warm my heart a bit. The film documents a year in the life of a turn-of-the-century family. In musical form no less! Christmas is just one small portion of the movie, but I have to give this film major props for giving us Garland’s incomparable rendition of Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas. It’s one of the most beautiful (and secretly devastating) Christmas songs of all time.

4. White Christmas. Growing up, this was my all time favorite Christmas movie. It’s the epitome of the classic Hollywood musical: the drama is low key (let’s put on a show to save an old man’s business!), the songs are great (I would listen to Bing Crosby sing the phonebook) and the choreography is wonderfully energetic. The movie’s got a quirky sense of humor, the costumes are to-die-for and everyone just seems like they’re having so much fun hanging out together. Danny Kaye, Rosemary Clooney and Vera Ellen costar alongside Bing and we’ve got not one, but two charming romances to follow.

3. The Holiday. It may look like a generic modern day rom com about overworked, crazy female protagonists, but it’s not. At least, it’s not just that. Kate Winslet and Cameron Diaz switch houses for the holiday season and manage to find love in the process. Old Hollywood, Jude Law, a charming Jack Black and adorable British children all work their way into the plot. It’s surprisingly delightful and much better than most of the big budget rom coms released around the holiday season.

2. It’s a Wonderful Life. People remember this movie for George Bailey’s angel intervention, but most of the film is actually a coming-of-age story about one small town man with big dreams. Jimmy Stewart and Donna Reed are simply adorable as the central couple who grow from young sweethearts to doting parents. The finale is melodramatic, but most of the film is actually a sort of low key character piece about a charming small town and the people who populate it.

1. Love Actually. Is anyone surprised? Love Actually is less than ten years old, but it’s become a holiday classic and my number one must-watch Christmas romance. While the abundance of actors might overwhelm a lesser movie (take a look at Valentine’s Day or New Year’s Eve), Love Actually brilliantly balances it’s plethora of storylines to depict the highs, lows, and in-betweens of the holiday season. It’s optimistic without being schmaltzy and sentimental without losing it’s comic edge. (I could watch this scene all day.) To me, it’s the perfect Christmas movie and one of the best rom coms of the last few decades.

I'll be trying to post reviews of these five films (and other holiday classics) leading up to the big day so if you have any Christmas-themed recommendations, please let me know in the comments below!