October is over! Thank God, do you know what that means? Fire up that Mariah Carey soundtrack, break out your ugliest sweater, forget whatever “Thanksgiving” is called, and get in the holiday spirit! When it comes to the holidays, there is no shortage of great classic films that bring us to tears, make us feel the warm feeling of the holidays, or bust our guts laughing with family and friends. Comedy holiday movies are some of the best and most nostalgia-producing films of all time. So get a hot cup of hot chocolate, maybe some popcorn, and let us provide you with the ultimate list of holiday comedies.

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9 Gremlins (1984)Who wouldn’t want to get an adorable and huggable Mogwai for Christmas? A stuffed animal brought to life, Gizmo is given as a gift to Billy on Christmas along with some very specific rules for taking care of him. Rules that Billy is unfortunately unable to follow. Gremlins is the classic dark comedy film that follows Billy and Gizmo as they face down gremlins that represent the best and worst of society during the holidays. Set during Christmastime but not necessarily focusing on the holiday, Gremlins is great for a little holiday scare and a lot of holiday laughing.

8 Jingle All the Way (1996)

     20th Century Fox

“It’s Turbo Time!” Jingle All the Way is packed full of action, tender family moments, and all sorts of laughs courtesy of top tier comedic performances by Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sinbad, Jim Belushi, and the late great Phil Hartman. This story about a deadbeat dad stopping at nothing to get his son a MCU hero-resembling Turbo Man doll before Christmas day is a genuine holiday classic and one movie every family should gather around and watch come the holidays.

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7 Bad Santa (2003)

         Miramax Films

One for the kids, one for the adults. If you are looking for a more mature holiday option, then Bad Santa is the holiday classic for you! Not every Christmas movie has to be cheerful and bright, and some are even dark and sad, and Bad Santa delivers Christmas in a more bleak package than other movies, but its raunchy humor makes it a must-watch for anyone looking to escape the over cheerfulness of the holidays.

6 National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation (1989)

     Warner Bros. 

It is hard to find a more outrageous and quotable holiday movie than National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation. The third film in the Vacation franchise, this movie sees the Griswold family stay home as they host Christmas for their relatives, and things unfortunately do not go well for Clark Griswold, as is often the case. The silliness of the film makes it perfect for a family to re-watch each and every holiday season.

5 Planes, Trains, and Automobiles (1987)

     Paramount Pictures 

One of the few Thanksgiving movies that exist in the holiday comedy category is the hilarious buddy road trip adventure that is Planes, Trains, and Automobiles. One of the best movies about vacations gone wrong, this movie sees Steve Martin’s character of Neal trying to get home for Thanksgiving and finding himself tethered to a shower curtain ring salesman Del, played by the late, great John Candy. The two actors chemistry is red-hot throughout this John Hughes classic that needs to be a part of your holiday comedy list.

4 Elf (2003)

     New Line Cinema 

Elf came out of nowhere in the Fall of 2003. Starring Will Ferrell who had yet to become the Will Ferrell we know today and from a semi-unknown director Jon Favreau who would go on to be one of the Grandfathers of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, this hilarious movie about a human elf from the North Pole seeking out his real father in New York City quickly became a Christmas classic. It has laughs, and more importantly, it has heart, the perfect mixture for a family to enjoy and laugh through every Christmas.

3 Scrooged (1988)

Another example of one for the kids, one for the adults. While Scrooged does not match the maturity of other entries on this list, it is nevertheless a classic Christmas movie recommended for an older audience to enjoy. A modern day (well, 1988) retelling of the Charles Dickens’ classic tale, it is Bill Murray’s unmatched charm and hilarity that helps make Scrooged a holiday comedy cornerstone.

2 A Christmas Story (1983)

     MGM/UA Entertainment Co.

A serious Christmas classic, especially if you’re from Cleveland, Ohio, is the 1983 comedy A Christmas Story. The movie tells the story of young Ralphie’s endearing dream of getting a Red Rider BB Gun for Christmas, as well as the trials and tribulations of growing up in the early 1940s. The film has produced some of the most recognizable Christmas imagery of all time, the classic pink bunny suit, a frozen tongue to a flag pole, and the major award that is “The Leg Lamp”. There is a reason why this low budget fluke turned into an American tradition, and why TNT shows the film for 24 straight hours every season on Christmas Day; it is forever a classic holiday comedy.

1 Home Alone (1990)

John Hughes knew how to craft a masterful family film and his talents are on full display in 1990’s Home Alone. A simple tale about a young kid left home alone during the holidays, forced to defend his house from two burglars. Home Alone is a movie that has held up for over thirty years and continues to be a part of traditions within families all over the world. It is simply the ultimate, and funniest holiday comedy of all time.