my top 20 christmas movies

 1. Miracle on 34Th Street was originally released in 1947 but was re made in 1994. It centres on a little girl Susan who was told at a young age by her mother that Santa was not real. And when Susan meets the new Santa at her mums department store who actually believes he is the real Santa, Susan is given not only something to believe in but the one thing she has always wanted? This is a great family film that keeps the true spirit of Christmas alive.

 2. The Snowman movie was released in 1982 and is a wordless animated movie. In fact the only words in the whole film are to the song 'Walking in the Air'. I watched this film when i was a child and now i watch it with my children. The film is about a little boy who makes a snowman on Christmas Eve and during the night the snowman comes to life and takes the little boy on a magical adventure to the North Pole to meet Santa.

 3. Home alone 1 & 2 are both set at Christmas time. A big family called the MCallister's go on vacation for Christmas but in number one they accidentally leave eight year old son Kevin behind. When the family realise their mistake they desperately try to get back from France to be with their son, meanwhile home alone Kevin is defending his home with lots of funny traps from two silly burglars who go by the name of 'The Wet Bandits'. In number two the MCallister family loose Kevin at the airport where he accidentally gets on a plane to New York. But Kevin's not completely alone this time he has his Fathers bag together with cash and credit cards. But while Kevin is living it up in New york he runs into the burglars once again who are now calling themselves 'The Sticky Bandits' and more hilarious traps are set to follow.

4. Love Actually was released in 2003 and has quite a lot of famous people in it such as Colin Firth, Hugh Grant, Keira Knightly and the list really does go on. The movie is filmed in London throughout christmas showing the love lives of eight very different couples and all the possible twists and turns that relationships can have. Can they find love? Will she marry him? Is her husband cheating? and will any of these couples have a happy Christmas?

5. A Christmas Carol was originally released in 1951 but more recently re made in 2009 by Walt Disney. Jim Carrey plays the part of Ebenezer Scrooge who is visited by three ghosts on Christmas Eve with each ghost showing Scrooge the error of his ways. Disney's Christmas Carol was the first Disney film to ever be released in IMAX 3-D.

6. The Grinch remake was released in 2000. In who ville lives the who's and they have a little girl called Cindy Lou Who. Cindy tries to befriends The Grinch but the Grinch hates Christmas and is plotting to steal it away from the who's. Cindy discovers that The Grinch was in love with the mayors wife Margaret and used to love christmas until the mayor teased him back when they were all at school together. Will Cindy manage to save Christmas and the Grinch?

7. Elf was released in 2003 and my children loved it and I must admit i also enjoyed it. The film is about a guy called Buddy who was in an orphanage as a baby when he hid in Santa's sack and was accidentally taken to the North Pole and ended up being raised by elves. Later as an adult Santa sends Buddy back to New York to find his father who never even knew that Buddy existed. Buddy is very child like and is not used to the real world at all so when he meets his father for the first time with tales of Santa and living with elves his father understandably thinks Buddy is bonkers that is until a DNA test proves Buddy is actually his son. But will his father believe Buddy's tales of the north pole? and just how will Buddy prove that the Christmas Spirit still exists?

 8. Scrooge was released in 1970 but had previously been released in 1951 and has been re made under different titles on several occasions too. I love this 1970 version of the film because it has a real Christmas feel to it and i think it really captures the story from Charles Dickens novel rather than the updated versions where story lines have been changed to much. The story is based on Scrooge who is a 'tight fisted hand at the grindstone' and shouts 'Bah Humbug' to anything remotely Christmas related. On Christmas eve Scrooge is visited in the night by three ghosts. The Ghost of Christmas past, The Ghost of Christmas present and The Ghost of Christmas future and with each ghost showing Scrooge a different scenario will Scrooge wake up Christmas morning a better man?

 9. Santa Claus The Movie was released in 1985 and is still one of my favourite Christmas films of all time. The film starts of by showing an old wood cutter who makes toys and delivers them to the children in the village along with his wife. it then shows you how he became Santa Claus. The film then jumps to modern times where the head elf Patch has left the North Pole after he made lots of broken toys when he rushed them through his machine in order to get a promotion. Patch is determined to prove himself to Santa but unfortunately Patch starts working for an evil toy manufacturerwho wants to corner the market and eliminate Santa Claus. This is a gret film for young children who want to know where Santa Claus comes from.

 10. National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation was released in 1989 and is a great Christmas comedy for all the family. The Griswolds family are all looking forward to a lovely Christmas and the Dad is more excited than usual because he is expecting a big bonus from work. However nothing goes as planned for the Griswolds and they end up with a disastrous Christmas filled with twists and turns at every corner. This film is hilarious no matter how many times you watch it.

11. Rudolph the red nose Reindeer Movie was remade and released in 1998 and is a lovely Christmas film for young children. When Rudolph is born with a bright red nose he is bullied by all the other Reindeer's but when Stormella closes her bridge of to the public meaning Santa can't get through. Rudolph the red nose reindeer ends up going from zero to hero.

 12. The Polar Express was released in 2004. Tom Hanks plays the part of a train conductor on a magical train that is heading for the North Pole. Meanwhile a boy who has started  doubting whether Santa really exists is in bed when he hears the train pulling up in the street. The boy jumps out of bed and goes out into the street to look at the train where the conductor tells him their going to the North Pole and invites him to jump aboard. Once on the train the boy meets other children on their way to meet Santa. Will the boys journey make him believe in Santa once more?

 13. White Christmas was released in 1954. This film is probably enjoyed more by adults although i really enjoyed watching this with my family when i was younger. The movie tells the story of two sisters Judy and Betty who are a successful song and dance act. The sisters are introduced to two ex soldiers Phil and Bob who have also recently become a song and dance act. When Judy and Betty travel to a Vermont lodge to perform in a Christmas show Phil and Bob follow them only to find their former commander General Waverly is the lodge owner. Lots of funny twists and mix ups ensue as the foursome try to help the General.

 14. The Santa Clause was released in 1995 and is based on a divorced Dad who has to take care of his son alone at Christmas but when the Dad inadvertently kills Santa Claus on Christmas eve he finds himself magically recruited to take his place.

15. Jingle all the way was released in 1996 and is based on a father played by Arnold Schwarzenegger who has forgot to buy his son the Turbo Man he had promised to buy him for Christmas. Having already let his Son down on countless occasions he really needs to buy that Turbo Man but it is Christmas eve and all the stores have sold out so the Dad has to travel all over town competing with other parents for a Turbo Man figure, and in true movie style he meets obstacles at every corner. Will he get the Turbo man? and just how far is he prepared to go to get it?

16. The Nightmare before Christmas was released in 1994 and is an Tim Burton animated movie about Jack Skellington the pumpkin king of Halloween Town who is so taken with the idea of Christmas when he visits Christmas Town that he attempts to get all the Ghouls and Bats and Goblins of Halloween Town to help him replace their Halloween festivities with Christmas ones but the ghastly crew just cant seem to get it right.

17. Four Christmases was released in 2008 and tells the story of Brad and Kate who have been together three years and are madly in love. Brad and Kate have no wish to get married or have children as they are both from broken homes so just want to enjoy having fun. On Christmas morning they are on their way to Fiji for a fun Christmas vacation but when they arrive at the airport their flight has been cancelled due to fog. After more events unfold the couple are forced to visit their four divorced parents for Christmas but faced with an eventful day and learning things about each other that they never knew will Brad and Kate stay together or realise they were never meant to be? 

 18. The Muppet Christmas Carol is a fun film for all the family. It was released by Walt Disney in 1992. In the film the Muppet's tell their version of the classic tale 'A Christmas Carol' and with lots of songs and dancing it really is full of festive cheer.

 19. I enjoyed this film as a child but could never remember what it was called. Glad i found out though because i watched it again with my eldest son and he to enjoyed it. A Christmas Story was released in 1983 and tells the story of Ralphie a young boy growing up in the 1940's, Ralphie dreams of owning a Red Rider BB gun and sets out to convince the world this is the perfect gift. But along the way he runs into opposition from his parents his teacher and even Santa Claus himself.

 20. Booky and the secret Santa was released in 2007. I enjoyed this film because it was like an old fashioned Christmas and although the Thompson family were poor because their Father had been made redundant just before the Christmas season they still helped each other out to try and make the best of Christmas with what they had. The film is based on Booky the youngest daughter of the Thompson family who gets a job at her Auntie's shop to raise some extra money for her families Christmas fund. While working their she meets Mr Eaton who she knows was the Eaton's parade Santa and believes he is her secret Santa when he grants her one wish Bookys selfless request rewards her several times over. This film really shows that Christmas is not about presents under the tree and all the luxuries but it is simply about family.