It’s that time of year again, when the weather is getting colder, and the semester is coming to an end, and there’s a reminder of the holiday season everywhere you turn. From Christmas carols to wrapping paper, to baked goods, the usual December suspects are all around us. But nothing truly says the holiday season quite like Christmas movie marathons. Like the rest of the world, I started the holiday season a little early this year, so I’ve been watching Christmas moves since before Thanksgiving. And I have to say after watching about six (or sixty) of them, I’m beginning to notice a few similarities.

initiating the gallery...

The holiday season, I’ve come to realize, is all about the traditions. Baking cookies. Listening to festive music. Wrapping presents. Eating way too much in a way too short amount of time. Shopping for days. Decorating. It wouldn’t be Christmas without all of it.

But really, probably my favorite Christmas tradition is the endless Christmas movies. It starts on Thanksgiving day with March of the Wooden Soldiers and continues through the New Year. The perfect excuse for movie marathons and munching on sweets, all I really want to do is grab some hot chocolate and those sugar cookies I bought baked, and settle down with one of my favorite Christmas movies.  Any of these will do.

Click on any movie to get started!

We’ve been good this year. No, really. Stop laughing! The sporadic nights of binge drinking/copying those Stats problems/”borrowing” a few rolls of toilet paper from the university bathrooms are nothing worthy of lumps of coal, right? I mean, we went to class, we worked really hard and we got ourselves one step closer to being real adults! That must mean something.

Like, I don’t know, that our holiday wish lists might be fulfilled this year? That we won’t have to suffer through more socks from Grandma, and more educational DVDs from the aunts and uncles? That we won’t have to fight the tears as everyone else gets Mario Kart for the Wii and we are stuck with a pair of ugly light wash jeans?

We don’t want much and we laid it all out below. You know, so there are no mistakes. (Oh, and some of us are celebrating Hanukkah, which starts Sunday night, so you may want to get on the shopping ASAP. Don’t worry, though; you have 8 days to get it right.) Thanksmuchbye!

Love,

The CollegeCandy Writers

P.S. We left you some cookies and milk. Hope you like Cakesters!

Sara C – Fordham: A quality tinted moisturizer, and a nice, long vacation. I know I’ll definitely be getting the latter!

Sarah – East Carolina University: Mac OSX Leopard, so that my Macbook stops shrieking in fear of PC programs.

CJ – UConn: -To make room for gym time, or, better yet, lose 15 pounds without really trying. Oh, and world peace?

Lauren – University of Michigan: A second guitar for my Guitar Hero and Chinese Food (because that’s what Christmas always makes me crave).

S.E. – Fordham: Tickets to see Wicked. They’re expensive so I want someone else to buy them for me!

Olua: Color me idealistic, but I just want a white Christmas.

Sara Beth – University of Texas: A pair of Roo’s

Suzanne – Tulane: To pass all of my classes. Santa, can you hear me?!

Leah – Ryerson University: I’ve already gotten most of my Christmas presents (a.k.a stuff I needed for school) but the one luxury item I asked for was Marc Jacobs’ Daisy. So good!

Erica – Kent State : A KorgX50 Synthesizer. I want to make me some music!

Elizabeth – UC Berkeley: A big Northface backpack that can fit all of my books. That’s actually pretty sad once I think about it.

John – UConn: A big, green terry bathrobe. The idea is to wear as much clothing as possible while still feeling, underneath, as naked as possible.

Noa – CU Boulder: New Uggs. Lame, I know, but a girl can never have too many semi-ugly but totally heavenly boots.

Carly – Grinnell: An apron or a sewing machine (apparently I am a ’50s housewife).

Kelly – UMass: A pole to practice my new pole dancing class routines. Somehow, I don’t think my mom is too keen on having a stripper pole in our house though.

Alex – Lakehead University: Taylor Swift tickets….whatever. AND GUESS WHAT, I ALREADY GOT THEM!

What’s on your wish list this year?

Nothing puts me into a more jolly mood than these holiday classics (in no particular order)…

1) It’s a Wonderful Life: You’d have to be a total Scrooge not to tear up at this movie about a suicidal man who is reminded of how beautiful his life is (played by the always amazing Jimmy Stewart). It will forever stand as one of the greatest Christmas movies of all time.

2) Home Alone: This movie made Macaulay Culkin the biggest child star on the planet and had audiences around the world roaring as he gave two burglars a Christmas butt whoopin’.

3) Miracle on 34th Street: This classic story about a man claiming to be Kris Kringle being put on trial for legal insanity will make anyone a believer in Old Saint Nick.

4) Love Actually: Not only does this British flick have a fantastic cast (Colin Firth, Keira Knightly, Liam Neeson and Emma Thompson), but it’s a truly lovey dovey romantic comedy that is guaranteed to make ya feel extra cozy.

5) A Christmas Story: This hilarious 80′s movie about a truly American Christmas has stemmed so many famous lines and scenes, people all over the world recognize them: “You’ll shoot your eye out!” (Get’s me every time!) You can even buy that (in)famous sexy leg lamp.

6) How the Grinch Stole Christmas (the original cartoon): While the live action re-make with Jim Carrey was entertaining, nothing reminds me that it’s Christmas time like watching the 1966 animated version of the Dr. Seuss book. (Yup, I just watched it on Monday).

7) A Charlie Brown Christmas: This animated special about the beloved Peanuts and their sad little Christmas tree has been synonymous with the holiday for four decades.

8) National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation: Clark Griswold is up to his usual antics in this movie. You can’t help but giggle at his crazy Christmas decorations and, of course, the Christmas tree/squirrel scene.

9) The Nightmare Before Christmas: Shrunken heads, skeletons, ghosts and ghouls; not exactly what you associate with Christmas, but this Tim Burton film has become a surprise Christmas classic.

10) Elf: Will Ferrell is one of the most hilarious comedians of our time and his role as Buddy the Elf, a human who was raised as an elf in the North Pole and goes to New York City to find his birth father as an adult, is one of his greatest.

11) Scrooged: This off-beat version of Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol” is hilarious, and Bill Murray plays the role of a grinchy TV exec perfectly.

12) White Christmas: Bing Crosby is famous for the tune, and the movie of the same name brings just as much joy.

13) Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and Frosty the Snowman: I decided to place these two kiddie classics together because they seem to go hand-in-hand. There’s a reason Rudolph is the longest running TV Christmas special of all time (it originally aired in 1964); this claymation 30 minute special about “the most famous reindeer of all” with the glowing red nose pleases kids and grown-ups alike. Frosty came out in 1969 and is an animated classic about a snowman who comes to life with a magic hat that also has a highly recognizable theme song (thumpity thump thump, thumpity thump thump, look at that Frosty go!). God, I love ‘em both.

14) A Chipmunk Christmas: As a kid, I looked forward to watching this Christmas special every year. Something about those adorable chipmunks with their squeaky voices gets me every time. And how can you not love “The Chipmunk Song” (“Christmas Christmas time is here, time for joy and time for cheer…”)?

15) Die Hard: If you’re looking for a great Christmas movie your man won’t moan about, look no further than Die Hard an action/comedy/Christmas movie all in one. Believe it.

What is your favorite holiday flick?

Happy Black Friday! Are you out soaking up the sales and bitchy soccer moms Christmas Spirit at the mall? Or are you home attempting to digest the 6 pounds of food you ate last night? Maybe you are spending the day with family and friends.

Whatever you are doing, welcome to holiday season! Sure, you may not be able to shop, shop, shop like you usually do this time of year (thank you, Wall Street!), but that doesn’t make it any less glorious! There’s the music! And the movies! And the general good mood of everyone around you. We, like everyone else, loooove this time of year…and we don’t even celebrate Christmas!

What is your favorite thing about the holiday season? We asked our writers and here is what they had to say:

K – NYU: I love going home and catching up with the fam. Sometimes you just need a break from work/studying/life…

Kelly – UMass: My favorite thing about the holidays is watching my family open the presents I picked out for them!

Kathryn S.: Open-bar office Christmas parties! Woo hoo!

Carly – Grinnell: I know this is cheesy, but I live away from home and have for a while now, so my favorite thing is the feeling that comes from sitting in my living room back at home with my dad, my mom, and my brother. It’s just the best.

Lauren – University of Michigan: Holiday sales! (And not for gifts…for me!)

Elizabeth – UC Berkeley: An excuse to belt out Bing Crosby’s entire “White Christmas” CD.

Britt – Northern Virginia Community College: Christmas in a cup from Starbucks. I know it’s awful for me, but it tastes just like Christmas in a cup should taste. For a Grande: 3 pumps Vanilla, 3 pumps Gingerbread, Breve, No water, With whip, 4 pump Chai. Mmmm.

Elise – UCLA: Cinnamon and pumpkin flavored EVERYTHING! And scented candles!

Suzanne – Tulane: The constant replaying of Mariah Carrey’s Christmas song on the radio. “All I want for Christmas is yooooooooooou.”

Alex – Cornell: My favorite thing about the holiday season is candy canes…in ANY way, shape or form. Giant candy canes, candy cane hot chocolate, candy cane bark, candles, wrapping paper. What can I say; I’m obsessed!

Olua: I know I sound like I’m coming straight out of YET another Christmas Story, but I love how happy it makes everybody. Unlike a lot of people I know who share this sentiment, though, I really DON’T want it to last all year long. That ruins the special feeling-of-the-now, don’t you think?

Noa – CU Boulder: Mistletoe. And the Egg Nog milkshake at McDonalds.

Sara – NYU: Taking ridiculous pictures of my boyfriend and me for the “cards” I will definitely “forget” to send out.

Liza – Grove City College: BAKED GOODS! And a license to be totally sappy and cheesy without (too much) judgment.

Sara C – Fordham: Watching “It’s A Wonderful Life” on television with my family. It’s my absolute all-time favorite movie, and it just doesn’t have the same resonance if you watch it in July.

What’s your fave?