31 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS

Never enough time to pack in all the movies, music, and decorations.
By Melissa Presti (Book Publisher)

Step away from your Thanksgiving leftovers and button up your pants, it’s time to bust out your Christmas movies and albums! It was a balmy 65 degrees in Manhattan this weekend, but it was winter in my apartment. I blasted the air conditioner and cranked up the classic NSYNC Home for Christmas album of 1998 while I cut out snowflakes to hang from the ceiling (I’m kidding. That’s my activity for tomorrow’s craft hour at “work”). My favorite holiday season starts NOW. 

I’m not a cult fan of A Christmas Story or Muppet shenanigans, and I'm already Elf-ed out before December 1st, so you might not agree with my list of favorites...

“We’re going to have the hap hap happiest Christmas since Bing Crosby tap-danced with Danny fucking Kaye!”
            - quoted once by Chevy Chase, and 1,739 times by my Dad.

Christmas Vacation (1989)
#1 movie of the season, if the quote didn't make that obvious. My family can recite every word which is disturbing yet gratifying. If you’re watching this for the first time, you shouldn’t watch with us.

White Christmas (1954)
It wasn’t until I was older that I realized Bing Crosby is actually way hotter than Danny Kaye, and that long distance train rides suck (no one sits around in a club car singing about snow!) balls. But everything about this film is classic and cozy, and I will easily watch it 10x or more.

Little Women (1994)
There is nothing better than my favorite book ever turned into a movie, and we’re dealing with Kirsten Dunst here. But she’s a tolerable 12yr old, and with Christian Bale, Claire Danes, Susan Sarandon, and a pre-shoplifting Winona Ryder, this is stellar casting for the ‘90s.

The Family Stone (2005)
Another all-star ensemble (and Claire Danes again). It’s a bit dramatic and awkward and uncomfortable, which means it’s an accurate portrayal of an American family Christmas, especially when Sarah Jessica Parker trades in one brother for another pretty flawlessly. I mainly enjoy their huge, Pottery Barn-decorated New England home, because they’re actually a bunch of assholes hating on SJP the entire movie (spoiler alert).

The Holiday (2006)
English cottage, snowy English countryside, English accents…all tempting reasons to peruse the housing swap offers on Craigslist. Totally possible that I will find my own Jude Law drunkenly knocking on my cottage door in a rural London suburb looking for love.

Bonus: 1978 Sesame Street Christmas Special...alI I ever wanted was to ice skate with Big Bird to Feliz Navidad.
 

MELISSA PRESTI works in book publishing at Penguin Group (USA). www.us.penguingroup.com
EMAIL HER |  FACEBOOK | TWITTER | OTHER POSTS BY THIS AUTHOR

Comments

[AmyH]

I can verify that you did, in fact, attempt to ice skate to this scene. Wearing snow boots. On the family room carpet. I wish we had a holiday home movie of THAT!

Nice list, even though you left off our other childhood favorite, One Magic Christmas. Nothing like a bank robbery and a guardian angel at the holidays.

[Ugg Bailey Button Triplet]

1978 Sesame Street Christmas Special...alI I ever wanted was to ice skate with Big Bird to Feliz Navidad.

[Amada Samson]

New England home, because they’re actually a bunch of assholes hating on SJP the entire movie

[Dima]

Yes, I'm very lucky although it's such a tiny room there's bleray room for a single bed in here, and everyone else seems to use it as their junk room, but I love it and my partner is pleased that i'm not making those messes you mention elsewhere in the house!

[Esmeralda]

[...] Aqu puedes tener asceco a Wallpapers gratis de Navidad para descargar. Si a n no te has contagiado con el esp ritu navide o, todav a no es tarde, pues tienes opci n a elegir un lindo wallpaper para tu pc. Etiquetas: Wallpapers gratis de Navidad para descargar | Canales Im

[Leoniie]

yes! i am German decent and as soon as we could walk,we got a sip of a hard drink,not wine. and it was put in our baby boltte so we could suck it. when i got married and had my own 2 kids,my husband lectured me all the way to my grandmothers house,about how i better not ever let our kids have any.he was out numbered tho,and they both got the traditional sip.i'm glad too,because my grandmother is gone now and nobody has kept that tradition going. this was only done at Christmas.

[Kento]

Yes, at Thanksgiving, Easter, and Christmas. One glass of wine with dinner. It was a small glass tghuoh.Edit: I give my kids sparkling cider or sparkling juice, no wine.

[Anjofeline]

And You Too I see alot of muslims tanikg advantage of the christian holiday?Personally I dont mind but they, for the rest of the year, proclaim everyone except themselves sinners. Ever heard the one of non-believer shop owners(be they Jewish, Muslim or of whatever religion other than Christian) who, at close of bussiness on Christmas Eve, lock up their shops, congregate with their family members inside the shops, light up candles, look at all the empty shelves and sing: What a friend we have in Jesus ?!