
There are some holiday traditions and customs you just can’t ditch. Like Mariah Carey’s All I Want for Chriiistmaaaas Isssss Youuuuuu and binging Home Alone movies. Yes, movies, because apparently there are six Home Alone movies as of now with the most recent one being Home Sweet Home Alone back in 2021 a.k.a the Home Alone movie that flew under everyone’s radar.
Now that Macaulay Culkin is too old to be the kid star of Home Alone movies, maybe it’s time for us to grow out of the franchise too, and switch to other Christmas classics that aren’t Home Alone but are still fun. And totally family-friendly, unlike the R-Rated Christmas movies you can’t watch around kids.
1. Miracle on 34th Street (1994)

Even if you don’t remember watching Miracle on 34th Street for some reason, you’ll likely recognize the scene where the Santa Claus guy has to prove he’s the real Santa in a court of law but since that’s not really possible, a woman uses the ‘In God We Trust’ printed on dollar bills as a legal precedent for acknowledging that the guy is Santa.
Yeah, don’t think too hard about it.
Dubious legal basis aside, Miracle on 34th Street is a fun Christmas movie that can keep you on your toes a little because of all the little twists, but since they’re low stakes, it won’t feel too stressful to watch for Christmas. Because let’s be real here, who wants to think during the holidays? Leave your last brain cell at work.
2. Edward Scissorhands (1990)

Tim Burton’s Edward Scissorhands pulls double duty as a Halloween and Christmas movie, making it a great transitional holiday film for the earlier half of December. Or if you’re really just too goth for Home Alone.
Edward Scissorhands revolves around the titular character who has, well, scissors for hands. He ends up living with the Boggs family in a suburban neighborhood after Peg Boggs takes pity on him and takes him home with her. Edward learns to become part of the family and the community at large, but a sequence of misunderstandings, driven by people who hate and mistrust him as well as his own innocence, end in disaster.
If Johnny Depp with scissors for hands isn’t enough to sell you on this movie, know that Winona Ryder plays the lead love interest.
3. Die Hard (1988)

If you thought Edward Scissorhands was an unlikely Christmas movie, Die Hard is an even more surprising candidate. It’s arguably as widely watched for the holidays as Home Alone so you’re probably a little tired of it as well. Still, where else are you going to get an action movie for Christmas?
4. The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)

The Nightmare Before Christmas is another spooky Christmas film from Tim Burton that manages to bring holiday cheer despite looking like Halloween incarnate.

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Its main character, Jack Skellington, decides he’s tired of spearheading Halloween celebrations so he’s going to replace Santa Clause – or as he calls him, Sandy Claws – and throw his own version of Christmas. The only problem is that he doesn’t really understand what Christmas is and what it’s about so Jack creates a nightmarish version of Christmas that scares the bejeesus out of people.
5. Little Women (1994)

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott has one of the most memorable Christmas openings in literature. Even if you’re just reading the story, you can’t help but feel sorry for the March family as they try to have a halfway-decent Christmas despite their poverty. Of course, the Little Women movie adaptations and the book itself later show us that the March family’s poverty is relative. They’re actually pretty well-off since they still have servants at home and can afford to do charity work for poorer people in their community.
Little Women quickly moves past Christmas but the lessons it teaches on humility, understanding, and forgiveness, undeniably Christmas spirit values, make it a great Christmas film.
6. Tokyo Godfathers (2003)

My fellow Satoshi Kon stans, let’s put aside Perfect Blue and Millenium Actress aside for now in favor of Kon’s sole Christmas film, Tokyo Godfathers.
Tokyo Godfathers follows a middle-aged alcoholic, a transwoman, and a teenage girl who all find themselves recreating a modern nativity scene after they discover an abandoned baby. The three try to return the child to its mother but this gets them entangled with the yakuza underworld.
It’s a crazy, convoluted film that manages to be a heartwarming tale about found family and reconciling with family members.
7. How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000)

Cindy Lou’s actress, Taylor Momsen, may be a rockstar now but we’ll always remember her for her role in How the Grinch Stole Christmas whose titular Grinch just really, really hates Christmas and seeing people have fun. Cindy Lou isn’t much different. While she enjoys Christmas just like every other Who down in Whoville, she’s less in it for the holiday spirit and more for the presents.
After a chance encounter with each other, Cindy Lou drags the Grinch down to Whoville to help them celebrate Christmas. In the process, Cindy Lou realizes there’s more to Christmas than presents. Together, the two realize the true meaning of Christmas.
8. The Santa Clause (1994)

Don’t dismiss The Santa Clause just because you’ve heard bad reviews about the latest franchise installment, The Santa Clauses (2022). This one’s actually a good comedy about Scott, a toy salesman, trying to keep his son’s belief in Santa Claus alive and protect his childhood innocence. Unbeknownst to Scott, Santa Claus actually does exist and the reason he hides from people is to prevent triggering the “Santa Clause”.
Scott accidentally sees Santa one evening, activating the Santa Clause and assuming the responsibility of being Santa that coming year. The next morning, he dismisses the experience as a dream until 11 months later, he’s magically brought to the North Pole to fulfill his duties…with his son in tow.
Or Just Watch Any Movie, Really
While you could look through lists of Christmas movies to watch aside from Home Alone, pretty much any movie will do since really, Christmas movi
‘?:{b nhgyjutes are just about having fun. Maybe you can even make a game about identifying tropes in Hallmark Christmas films or change things up by watching horror movies during Christmas.
Personally, I’m watching Dune again while we wait for Dune 2 and Princess Irulan’s appearance. Let us know what films you’re watching for Christmas in the comments below!