With the holidays just around the corner, there’s no better way to get into the Christmas spirit than to grab some hot chocolate, blankets, and watch some Christmas movies.

Although new Christmas movies tend to come out every year, it seems to be the older movies that stick. If you need to spark your memory of great movies to watch this year, you’ve come to right place.

The Polar Express (2004) PG; directed by Robert Zemeckis, written by Robert Zemeckis and William Broyles Jr.

The Polar Express is a classic Christmas movie for the whole family. It’s an animated fantasy based on the book by Chris Van Allsburg.

On Christmas Eve, a boy who is beginning to doubt the magic of Christmas and Santa Claus boards a magical train that’s headed to the North Pole. He meets very different friends and goes on an exciting adventure to start believing again. He may even get the opportunity to meet the big man himself.

This movie is entertaining, fun, and may just spark up some past beliefs.

Love Actually (2003) R; directed and written by Richard Curtis

Love Actually is a drama, comedy, and romance. Nothing’s better than all three of those genres together. It’s not exactly for the whole family due to some of the language and sexual content.

This movie follows the lives of many different couples, showing different aspects of love. Some relationships are strong, some just starting off, and some beginning to falter.

The ten stories all lead up to a final climax on the wonderful day of Christmas Eve. This is all set in the very frantic month before Christmas in London, England.

It’s a movie that I think everyone who watches can fall in love with and will want to watch again next year.

Elf (2003) PG; directed by Jon Favreau, written by David Berenbaum.

Elf is a very popular family fantasy comedy that everyone seems to love. It’s a classic and is talked about every year.

A grown man, who grew up as an elf in the North Pole, realizes he’s not actually an elf and goes to the Big Apple in search of his real father.

He gets into many hilarious predicaments in the real world, which is nothing like where Santa lives.

Buddy the Elf manages to find romance and spread Christmas joy throughout New York.

The Santa Clause (1994) PG; directed by John Pasquin, written by Leo Benvenuti and Steve Rudnick.

The Santa Clause, although seemed as old to some, is a fantasy family comedy that has remained a classic.

When a man finds himself in a very situation involving the famous Santa Claus, he is recruited to take his place. Scott Calvin doesn’t understand why he’s gaining weight and growing a beard no matter how many times he shaves.

If he doesn’t start believing in the Christmas magic again and fulfill his duty as Santa, Christmas won’t be the same.