Host a Holiday Movie Party This Season

Man, oh man, I love Christmas movies! My husband and I both have our favorites (Elf for me and A Christmas Story for him) and we look forward to watching them every year. We originally had plans to go to a theater to see an old Christmas movie but you know, COVID. So we are trying out some new traditions and have decided to throw a Christmas movie party at home. A Christmas movie party is a great activity to do with just your family, or share it with others.

Usually we don’t need anything extra for Christmas movies–just throw some popcorn in the microwave and play the movie. However, since we have been staying home more this season, we are completely invested in bringing the Christmas magic inside and starting some new traditions.

What Christmas Movies to Watch?

There are so many great movies choices for Christmas. You can find movies, holiday episodes from popular TV shows, and everything in between on multiple streaming platforms. I was particularly bummed when I learned we couldn’t watch A Charlie Brown Christmas since we don’t have AppleTV+ but PBS has saved the day and they will be playing the Christmas special. PBS will air A Charlie Brown Christmas, commercial free, on Sunday, December 13 at 7:30 pm.

On Netflix, there are more than 40 movie choices! Some of the standouts are Dr. Seuss’ How the The Grinch Stole Christmas, Klaus, Holidate, and A Very Murray Christmas.

Amazon Prime also has a wide variey of holiday movies. It’s a Wonderful Life, The Polar Express, The Nightmare before Christmas, Elf, National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, The Miracle on 34th Street, and lots of the classic Christmas cartoons like Rudolph and Jack Frost are available.

Disney+ has all of the Home Alone  and The Santa Clause with Tim Allen movies. Don’t miss Disney’s new LEGO Star Wars Holiday Special or family-friendly options like Noelle, Olaf’s Frozen Adventure, A Christmas Carol, Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmas, and The Muppet Christmas Carol.

Movie Night Snacks

Buttery popcorn, fizzy soda, and a box of Milk Duds please! Make you own concessions snack stand at home. Pull out the popcorn maker or try to spice up your traditional bowl of popcorn with one of these recipes. If you live on the Southside or anywhere near Franklin, the Artcraft Theater is selling concessions on some Friday and Saturday evenings from 5-7 pm. Check their Facebook page to keep tabs on the dates they are offering this. They will be selling popcorn of course plus all of the other yummy candies and concession stand goodies you love. There will also be merchandise and gift cards available for purchase. Because of rising COVID-19 numbers, the Artcraft has decided to do a temporary closure and can really sue the community support.

Holiday Themed Snacks

If you are looking to go all out, bake some Christmas cookies or dip pretzel rods in chocolate and decorate with red and green sprinkles. Themed snacks are always a fun way to get everyone excited for the movie! Make Grinch themed food like green iced brownies with a tiny piped red heart, green jello, or green punch. Clark candy bars complement National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation or be really adventurous and make Elf spaghetti with all the fixins!

Get Cozy for Your Christmas Movie

Lots of families choose to buy matching Christmas pajamas each year. Often these are used for fun family pictures or just opened on Christmas Eve. Have some extra fun with the pajamas this year and break them out early on in the season. Encourage everyone to wear them to watch the movie. Gather up all of the Christmas pillows and fleecy blankets you can find! Comfort is key!

Hot Chocolate Bar

Alright, we’ve got our movie picked, snacks made and pajamas on. Now it is time for a warm drink. Christmas and hot chocolate just go hand in hand. Break out the Swiss Miss or whip up a batch on the stove. Set out some fun toppings. Marshmallows, whipped cream, crushed peppermint sticks, sprinkles, cinnamon and chocolate chips would do the trick. Use those Christmas mugs you have been collecting for years!

If you want to up the ante, try out a hot chocolate bomb. Imagine a ball of chocolate filled with the makings of a perfect cup of hot chocolate. Place the bomb in your mug and pour warm milk over to break open the bomb and dispense the deliciousness contained inside.

Photo by Confections by Kay

Set the Christmas Scene

If you have the kitschy leg lamp from A Christmas Story, you should definitely set it out. But it’s easy to add a little holiday flare to your movie party. Have the kids make paper snowflakes and hang them from the ceiling like in Elf. String up some Christmas lights around the room. Make a more immersive experience with themed decorations from a party store or ordered online.

Grown-Up Christmas Movie Party

Kids are great and fun, but your Christmas Movie Party can also be a festive adult gathering or at home date night.

  • There are so many more movies than the ones listed in this article. Search any of the streaming platforms for all of the rom-com Christmas movies or break out the Christmas classic Die Hard.
  • Make up a drinking game to go with the movie.
  • Create a signature cocktail on theme.
  • Turn down the lights and light a fire to make it extra cozy while you watch the movie!

Let us know if you try this out at home or have any other fun ideas to make your Christmas Movie Party special.

 

1 thought on “Host a Holiday Movie Party This Season”

  1. Pingback: The Christmas Eve Box | A Holiday Activity to Keep the Kids Busy

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