With finals right around the corner and winter break to follow, sitting down to a lighthearted holiday movie is a relaxing way to join in on the holiday spirit. These are just a few enjoyable holiday movies to keep in mind during winter break.

The first movie to consider is How the Grinch Stole Christmas(2000) – with Jim Carrey playing the role of the Grinch. This is a great holiday movie about the vengeful Grinch, and his goal to ruin Christmas for the joyous citizens of Whoville. Joined by his dog Max, Grinch runs into a few problems along the way, including the annoyingly, endearing Cindy Lou Who. As a strong figure in the Raptor community, Vincent White shares his opinion of this holiday movie, “A lot of people don’t like it because they think that it’s a bit extra, or they think Jim Carrey is kind of weird, but that’s exactly why I like it. I think offers more of a storyline, it’s funnier, there’s some crude humour in there, and really I’m not a big fan of cartoons, so I like that there are real people acting.” Lessons are learned and friendships are made in this life-like version of How the Grinch Stole Christmas, and this movie is a great way to kick-off the winter holidays.

Another great movie for this winter is Home Alone(1990). In this light hearted comedy, 8-year-old Kevin McCallister gets in trouble for his bratty attitude the night before he and his family are supposed to go on vacation.  Forced to spend the rest of the night in the attic, Kevin is accidently forgotten when the leaves for Paris the next day. When Kevin wakes up the next morning to an empty house, he is immediately filled with excitement over his sudden freedom from his strict, overbearing family. This excitement sours, however, when Kevin realizes that two con men plan to rob his family’s house while they are away on vacation. Isabella Richards enjoys this movie as well saying, “I like the part where he runs away because he hears the tv on, I thought it was really funny!” This comical adventure of an 8-year-old boy protecting his house from two criminals is very enjoyable and perfect for an easy night of joyous fun.

The movie Gremlins(1984) is an exciting film to get your blood pounding this holiday season.  When a simple gadget salesman goes out looking for special present to give his son, he finds the perfect gift in a small store in Chinatown. When the reluctant salesman hands the adorable creature over, he warn the man of three things: never expose him to bright light, water, and never feed him after midnight. Despite this warning, all three of these thing happen, and when a growing group of angry Gremlins decide to tear through the town on Christmas eve, Billy Peltzer and his family must find a way to stop them.  Connor Stone explains his opinion the movie, “ This movie has something that not many others do, and that is a well planned storyline and background.” If you’re looking for a thrilling, paranormal holiday movie this winter, Gremlins is the way to go.

The next film that should be on everyone’s list of favorite holiday movies. The movie Elf(2003) follows the life of Buddy- played by Will Ferrell- as he goes on a journey to meet his father. When Buddy was just a toddler, he was accidently taken to the North Pole after he crawls into an oblivious Santa’s sac. Buddy is then raised as an elf, but as he grows up, he can’t shake the feeling that he doesn’t fit in with the other elves. Tired of being the odd-one-out, Buddy decides to go to New York as an adult in order to find his real father. To Buddy’s surprise, his father is not ht he had expected. As a powerful business man, Walter Hobbs, Buddy’s dad, is a bit cynical when it comes to the holiday season. Grayson Fast enjoys this movie saying, “I really liked the scene where he decorates the store!” Follow Buddy in his journey to find his father and spread the christmas around New York, possibly even changing his father’s scrooge behavior.

The final movie in this list of popularly enjoyed holiday movies is The Nightmare Before Christmas(1993).  In this holiday movie, it shares a mix of both Christmas and Halloween. When Jack Skellington, king of Halloweentown, comes across a mysterious door that leads him to the Christmas Town, he is instantly intrigued. When Jack decides to bring the Christmas spirit back to Halloweentown with him, it causes a lot of confusion and brings Jack’s loyalty as their king into question. Chloe Urbanski thinks highly of this and states her opinion, “ It’s a classic movie that gives a good twist to Christmas and reminds you of Christmas in a weird creepy way. It is one of my favorite movies and is a good pick for the holidays.” This spine-chilling twist on Christmas spirit and Halloween is a great movie choice for winter break.

Any of these great holiday movies will make for a great, relaxing winter break. After the tense week of finals, these films are a great way to easily join in on the holiday spirit.