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The Best Movies to Watch on Christmas Eve

My favorite holiday tradition is how we spend Christmas Eve.

Each year, we get a live Christmas tree, decorate it along with all of our living spaces, and prepare for the great day that is December 25.

I begin the night by taking my family on a car ride to see all of the Christmas lights. It’s something my parents used to do when my brother and I were growing up. We listened to Christmas music along the way and fantasized about all of the things Santa would bring us after we went to sleep.

When we returned home, we would bake cookies for Santa and leave them out with a glass of cold milk. 

My brother and I would have a sleepover in our parents’ bedroom and fall asleep watching one of our favorite Christmas movies – A Christmas Story or Home Alone.

So, I thought I would share a list of my favorite Christmas movies to watch on Christmas Eve.

What should I watch on Christmas Eve?

Since TBS airs A Christmas Story for 24 straight hours, starting Christmas Eve, on both TBS and TNT, I would say this is my top pick. TBS begins its 24-hour extravaganza at 8 p.m., while TNT starts its marathon at 9 p.m.

A Christmas Story
  • Amazon Prime Video (Video on Demand)
  • Peter Billingsley, Melinda Dillon, Darren Mcgavin (Actors)

A Christmas Story

Based on the humorous writings of author Jean Shepherd, this beloved holiday movie follows the wintry exploits of a youngster, who spends most of his time dodging a bully and dreaming of his ideal Christmas gift, a “Red Ryder air rifle.”

RELATED:  30+ Kids Christmas Movies on Netflix

What is the most viewed Christmas movie?

 

 

Illumination Presents: Dr. Seuss' The Grinch
  • Amazon Prime Video (Video on Demand)
  • Benedict Cumberbatch, Rashida Jones, Kenan Thompson (Actors)

Dr. Seuss' The Grinch (2018)

What's the number one Christmas movie of all time?

Entertainment Weekly says the top Christmas movie of the century is Elf.

RELATED: Where to Watch The Grinch

Elf
  • Amazon Prime Video (Video on Demand)
  • Will Ferrell, James Caan, Bob Newhart (Actors)

Elf

Buddy the Elf doesn't fit in with the other North Pole elves, so he travels to New York to find his real father and spread some Christmas cheer.

RELATED: Where to Watch Elf

The Best Movies to Watch on Christmas Eve

If you don't want to be limited to just one Christmas Eve movie, you can spend the whole day with your family binge-watching all of these Christmas favorites.

Home Alone
  • Amazon Prime Video (Video on Demand)
  • Macaulay Culkin, Joe Pesci, Daniel Stern (Actors)

Home Alone

When Kevin is home while his family goes on a Christmas trip, he must defend his home from burglars.

RELATED:  Which streaming service is Elf on?

RELATED: Where to Watch Home Alone

Die Hard (4K UHD)
  • Amazon Prime Video (Video on Demand)
  • Bruce Willis, Alan Rickman, Bonnie Bedelia (Actors)

Die Hard

New York Cop, John McClane, must save a Christmas Party from a group of robbers on Christmas Eve.

Die Hard 2 (4K UHD)
  • Amazon Prime Video (Video on Demand)
  • Bruce Willis, Bonnie Bedelia, William Atherton (Actors)

Die Hard 2

John McClane returns this time to battle Terrorists who have seized control of an airport on Christmas Eve a year after the first film.

Bad Santa
  • Amazon Prime Video (Video on Demand)
  • Billy Bob Thornton, Tony Cox, Brett Kelly (Actors)

Bad Santa

Two con artists, disguised as Santa and an elf, take seasonal jobs at shopping malls, which they then rob on Christmas Eve. Their annual holiday stealing spree becomes complicated when an eight-year-old boy befriends Santa is befriended.

Christmas Eve - 1947
  • Amazon Prime Video (Video on Demand)
  • George Raft, George Brent, Randolph Scott (Actors)

Christmas Eve

To save her fortune from a designing nephew, Matilda Reid must locate her three long-lost adopted sons in time for a Christmas Eve reunion.

It's A Wonderful Life
  • Amazon Prime Video (Video on Demand)
  • James Stewart, Donna Reed, Lionel Barrymore (Actors)

It's a Wonderful Life

A businessman is shown by his guardian angel on Christmas Eve what the world would be like if he were never born.

To continue learning, check out It's a Wonderful Life Movie Bible Study.

Love The Coopers
  • Amazon Prime Video (Video on Demand)
  • Alan Arkin, John Goodman, Ed Helms (Actors)

Love the Coopers

When four generations of the Cooper clan come together for their annual Christmas Eve celebration, a series of unexpected visitors and unlikely events turn the night upside down, leading them all toward a surprising rediscovery of family bonds and the spirit of the holiday

Noelle
  • Amazon Prime Video (Video on Demand)
  • David Wall, Sean Patrick Brennan, Kerry Wall (Actors)

Noelle

The story revolves Santa's daughter (Anna Kendrick) who is forced to take over the family business when her father decides to retire and her brother (Bill Hader) ends up getting cold feet prior to his first big Christmas Eve flight.

Serendipity
  • Amazon Prime Video (Video on Demand)
  • John Cusack, Kate Beckinsale, Molly Shannon (Actors)

Serendipity

A man (John Cusack) and a woman (Kate Beckinsale) meet on Christmas Eve circa 1991 and reunite a decade later on the same day.

RELATED:  30+ Cheerful Disney Plus Christmas Movies

The Christmas Chronicles

The story of sister and brother, Kate and Teddy Pierce, whose Christmas Eve plan to catch Santa Claus on camera turns into an unexpected journey that most kids could only dream about.

Sale
The Homecoming: A Christmas Story
  • Factory sealed DVD
  • Patricia Neal, Richard Thomas, Edgar Bergen (Actors)

The Homecoming: A Christmas Story

On Christmas Eve in 1933, the Walton family of rural Virginia awaits the return of the family patriarch who went to look for work in a distant city. This television film led to The Waltons television series.

The Christmas Toy
  • Amazon Prime Video (Video on Demand)
  • Dave Goelz, Brian Henson, Kathryn Mullen (Actors)

The Christmas Toy

Jim Henson tale of toys who come to life on Christmas Eve.

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
  • Amazon Prime Video (Video on Demand)
  • Larry D. Mann, Billie Mae Richards (Actors)

Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer

Stop-motion adaptation of the popular song. Rudolph, and Hermey the Misfit Elf, overcome rejection for their differences and help Santa Claus make his Christmas Eve trip.

VeggieTales: St. Nicholas: A Story of Joyful Giving
  • Amazon Prime Video (Video on Demand)
  • Phil Vischer, Mike Nawrocki, Lisa Vischer (Actors)

VeggieTales: Saint Nicholas: A Story of Joyful Giving

Bob and Larry tell the true story of Saint Nicholas to a group of children on Christmas Eve.

Disney's a Christmas Carol
  • Amazon Prime Video (Video on Demand)
  • Jim Carrey, Jim Carrey, Jim Carrey (Actors)

Disney's A Christmas Carol

The magical retelling of Charles Dickens’ beloved tale — Disney’s A Christmas Carol, the high-flying, heartwarming adventure for the whole family, starring Jim Carrey. When three ghosts take penny-pinching Scrooge on an eye-opening journey, he discovers the true meaning of Christmas — but he must act on it before it’s too late.

Complete with spirited bonus features, this exhilarating and touching Disney classic is destined to be part of your holiday tradition, adding sparkle and heart to all your Christmases yet to come.

Hope you have a magical Christmas eve spending time with your family!

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