The holidays wouldn’t be the same without the classic Christmas movies, would they? And my theory is that the reason behind this is: nostalgia.
You don’t watch the same movies every year just because they’re cinematic masterpieces. You watch them to relive the moments that filled your childhood with warmth, joy, anticipation and in some cases even horror (okay some might agree that the idea of Santa Claus can be creepy if you think about it twice).
We live in a time where we may try to grasp for anything that makes us feel closer to those happy and carefree moments, and you can’t deny that the holiday season and the Christmas movies themselves feel like a comforting hug reassuring you that everything will be alright.
The use of the word comfort is the key in here. Comfort, especially in the form of nostalgia, can work as a form of healing that costs nothing more than unlocking and entering you own memory chamber. With this in mind, hop aboard with NOTHINKIN and take a trip down the Christmas movie memory lane with us. Let’s see together what makes those classic gems so special.

Here are some classic movies you might’ve grown up with and return to over and over again during the Christmas period.

 

“Home Alone” (1990)

An eight-year-old troublemaker must protect his house from a pair of burglars when he is accidentally left home alone by his family during Christmas vacation.
When it comes to this movie it’s hard to believe that it came out 30 years ago, since it always feels like it could have come out yesterday! Probably that might be one of the reasons that everybody loves Home Alone! Anyone who’s ever wished to have the house all to themselves can relate to Kevin. Because sometimes all you need is some time alone with a good slice of pizza and ice cream. There’s also plenty of comedy and a warm holiday story of forgiveness weaved throughout.

 

“Love Actually” (2003)

The movie follows the lives of eight very different couples in dealing with their love lives in various loosely interrelated tales all set during a frantic month before Christmas in London, England.
“Love Actually” is the perfect guilty pleasure and anytime watch, as there are not many films that can mix next-level cheesiness, goofy comedy and plenty of sentimentality, so masterfully. It’s the movie that you can watch when you’re feeling low and searching for some positivity and romance, or when you’re actually happy. Whatever your mental state is, this movie will make you happy, you will laugh and who knows you might even cry.

 

“The Holiday” (2006)

Two girls from different countries swap homes for the holidays to get away from their relationship issues. However, their lives change unexpectedly when they meet and fall in love with two local guys.
Yes, another rom-com on the list. And yes, things are 100 times easier in a romantic film than in real life. But this is what makes it such a perfect film for right now, or for any time you might need to feel a little less alone or concerned by the state of the world: the naïve simplicity with which things come together is comforting. It’s not realistic, but it allows us to ignore reality for a few hours and gives us hope when things feel a bit gloomy.

 

“A Christmas Carol”

Ebenezer Scrooge, a bitter old miser who rationalizes his uncaring nature learns real compassion when three spirits visit him on Christmas Eve.
This was by far my favorite Christmas movie that I kept watching over and over again as a kid and I can say that it still makes me cry until today. I think we’re all familiar with the story which makes it a must comfort watch. Even though it lacks the classic joy that the other Christmas movies have, it’s a classic that manages every time to warm your heart, appreciate more the time you spend with your loved ones and leaves you feeling there is hope for a better future – and there is not much that is more comforting than that.

Happy holiday binge-watching!

For you NoThinker,
Eli