Deck the halls!
The turkey day weekend is coming to a close, which means it’s officially acceptable to watch holiday movies for the next 26 days. Okay, who am I kidding, I’ll watch them into the new year.
In 2016, I put together a list of Christmas movies to watch on cable. i still have cable and yep, still over here DVR-ing holiday movies, but I know lots of people don’t do that anymore.
So, I’m upping my game and trying to stick to the streaming services this year.
Let’s do this!
Happiest Season | Out Now – Hulu
This just came out and I’ve heard it’s a goodie. Staring Kristen Stewart, she is heading home with her girlfriend to meet her family… only her girlfriend hasn’t come out yet. Dan Levy is also in it, and I’m a recent fan of his since I am now three seasons into “Schitt’s Creel.” There’s also a ton of classic holiday flicks + HULU originals available (full list here). If you’re reading this before Tuesday, HULU is also having an awesome Black Friday sale on subscriptions.
The Rockefeller Center Tree Lighting | Dec 2 – NBC, Peacock
This is one of my favorite traditions of the season and I’m so glad they’re making it happen this year. While the event isn’t open to the public, there will still be performances, including Dolly Parton, Gwen Stefani, and The Radio City Rockettes. It starts at 7pm EST on NBC and I assume you’ll be able to watch it on Peacock.
Christmas Spectacular Starring the Radio City Rockettes | Dec 2 – NBC, Peacock
I was very fortunate to see this show live at Radio City (I cried) in 2018 and I am so excited it’s coming to TV this season. It starts right after the tree lighting and aside from amazing dances and kick lines, there will also be performances by Josh Groban and John Legend, among others.
My Gift: A Christmas Special from Carrie Underwood | Dec 3 – HBO MAX
You guys! I am so excited for this! I love Carrie Underwood 🙂 This special will feature Underwood singing songs from her holiday album “My Gift” alongside a choir. Plus, there will be some celeb duets. HBO Max also created a “Holiday Wonderland” section of the app that has more than 200 hours of festive content, including movies and holiday TV episodes, including all the Christmas “Friends” episodes.
Mariah carey’s Magical Christmas | Dec 4 – Apple TV
We all saw the Instagram post with the director’s chairs: MC, JH, and AG… naturally the three powerhouses — Mariah Carey, Jennifer Hudson, and Ariana Grande where prepping for this thing. I’m super jealous of anyone with Apple TV because I bet this will be festive AF.
Holidate | Out Now – Netflix
Starring Emma Roberts and Luke Bracey, this pair needed plutonic dates for the year… but we all know how that’s going to turn out. This has gotten rave reviews since it came out in October. Perfect if you’re looking for something light.
12 Dates of Christmas | Out now – HBO Max
This is basically “The Bachelor” but with a holiday focus. The three contestants in the castle — yes, a real castle — are looking for a holiday date. It sounds and looks pretty cringey, but I’m here for it. Plus, it was taped pre-COVID, so it’s a world without germ-anxiety.
Holiday on the Square | Out now – Netflix
This is a holiday musical staring Dolly Parton — yes, please! It’s sort of like a Scrooge story with a twist. In the movie, Parton plays an angel, and since she funded $1 million to get us closer to a COVID vaccine, I’d say she’s a real life angel.
Those are the main specials happening this year. If you do have cable, of course there’s loads of classics happening all December long. I have been watching Hallmark movies, per usual. So far, I’ve enjoyed “Good Morning Christmas” on Hallmark and really loved “Dear Christmas” on Lifetime.
I’ve put my Hallmark Christmas Movie BINGO cards on sale in my Etsy shop (there’s also printable holiday tags) and am working on a general holiday movie set that will be up soon.
What are you looking forward to watching this holiday season?
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