By Shea Necheles and Louisa Kania

A cup of hot cocoa and a good holiday movie: there is nothing we would rather do this December as the holidays roll around. In preparation for those lazy Sunday afternoons spent holed up in your room underneath a pile of blankets, we have prepared a list of both old and new holiday classics in the hopes that they might inspire you to re-watch some of your forgotten favorites.

Elf (2003) – This movie starring Will Ferrell as a goofy but lovable human who thinks he is an elf will have you in tears, laughing. With plenty of quotable lines such as, “Buddy the Elf, what’s your favorite color?”, this movie is great to watch with friends. Everyone will enjoy watching Buddy travel from the North Pole and through the candy cane forest and the Lincoln Tunnel while giving hugs along the way.

Love Actually (2003) is the feel-good chick flick that you will want to watch all year round. The story revolves around eight intertwined couples (Alan Rickman and Emma Thompson; Hugh Grant and Martine McCutcheon; and Chiwetel Ejiofor and Keira Knightley to name a few) in London and their Christmastime love stories. The movie will have you hooked from the opening sequences at Heathrow Airport with the theme that love is everywhere. This movie is absolutely perfect to watch cocooned in warm blankets.

Home Alone (1990) is a classic holiday movie. Starring Macaulay Culkin as Kevin, the movie is about a young boy who is left home by accident when his family leaves for France. Culkin has to defend his large home from burglars all by himself. This movie will have you simultaneously on the edge of your seat waiting to find out what happens to Kevin and laughing from all the slapstick comedy.

White Christmas (1954) is classic musical about two World War II army veterans turned musical stars who fall in love with a pair of sisters and travel with them to Vermont for the holidays. There, they discover that the owner of the failing inn in which they are staying is their former army commander, and they decide to team up with the sisters to help their old comrade save the inn. Starring Bing Crosby and Rosemary Clooney, this movie is replete with upbeat singing and dancing that will make you want to jump up and join in.

Miracle on 34th Street (1947) is the uplifting story of a young girl who is losing her holiday spirit and her belief in Santa Claus when she meets a department store Santa who claims to be real. This movie truly captures the essence of the holiday spirit and the hope, love, and joy present during the holidays.

It’s a Wonderful Life (1946) is the heartwarming tale of a depressed businessman and an angel who helps to lift his spirits by showing him what life would have been like without him. Thought-provoking and inspiring, this movie will leave you thinking long after the final credits roll down the screen.