As a Christmas film lover, there's more than film-based tradition in my family. However, my favourite will always be watching Nativity! on the last day of school term. When my sister and I were still at school, we would always celebrate the day we broke up for the holidays by watching Nativity! with the family, snug on the sofa with a hot chocolate. Since our mum is a primary school teacher, the end of school term is still an important calendar date for us, so our Nativity! tradition is alive and well. So many British teenagers yearn for that joy we felt during December in primary school, so I love how this film really captures that in the tiny details like the school hall assemblies or the classroom Christmas postbox. To make the tradition even better, Mum is kindly gifted all sorts of chocolate (and alcohol!) by the parents of her class at the end of term, which we all break into as soon as Martin Freeman hits the telly.
-Mia Wijayatilleke, Fashion and Beauty Sub-Editor
My favourite Christmas film always has been, and always will be, Miracle on 34th Street, the 1994 version. Every year, for as long as I can remember, my family and I have watched it on Christmas Eve. By now we practically have every line memorised, and yes, there are a few slightly dull moments, but none of that matters. To me and my family, he is the true Santa Claus. My dad still wears an “I Believe” pin every Christmas (yes, that’s the most festive he gets), and it perfectly captures why the film means so much to us. Not only is it our most quoted Christmas film, it could also be one of our favourite films of all time. I even briefly considered becoming a lawyer when I was younger purely because of it, although I now realise it’s probably the least accurate depiction of law imaginable. Still, there’s something about its magic that never quite wears off.
-Milly Thompson, Music Sub-Editor
My traditional Christmas film (although admittedly not my favourite) is The Snowman. Every Christmas Eve myself and my family would go for a walk around my home village, of course stopping at the pub for a quick pint, before returning home to what my mum would call a “carpet buffet” (essentially just eating picky bits while we sat on the floor for some reason) and watching The Snowman. I would always dread watching The Snowman for some reason; I think I found the lack of dialogue boring or thought it was old fashioned or something. But my dad loved the film. So nowadays I’ve grown to love it too, I think mainly because it reminds me of when I was young (even though I still don’t really get the plot).
-Katy Woods, News Sub-Editor
Since my parents came to England in 2004 and celebrated christmas “properly” for the first time they’ve had a tradition of watching Love Actually every Christmas Eve. As my sister and I got older we were allowed to stay up and watch (parts of it, Martin Freeman excluded) with them. However, New Years was more of a treat, watching my favourite Christmas film The Holiday, tucked up on the sofa with blankets, eating the 12 grapes at midnight and making wishes for the new year listening to Hans Zimmer’s music playing in the background. As we get older, it will always be one of my most cherished memories to sit as a family and watch our favourite film on New Years!
-Aarya Shenoy, Sports Sub-Editor
My newfound Christmas tradition is watching the melancholic masterclass The Holdovers. Since the festive film was, rather strangely, released in January, it felt wrong to watch it at the time, so I eagerly waited. I didn’t get the chance to see it until winter rolled around again. I finally watched it on Christmas day 2024, and I instantly fell in love. I’ve now decided to devote a special 2-hour-13-minute window each year to this ritual. Transporting you straight back to 1970, the film hits the nostalgia nail on the head. There’s something so comforting about its raw, unfiltered depiction of the festive season. It's bittersweet portrayal of a non-conventional family feels refreshingly comforting, especially during a time of year when it's valued and cherished the most, as Angus Tully discovers his 'found family'.
-Erin Neal, Lifestyle Sub-Editor
Last Christmas is the perfect Christmas movie for multiple reasons; 1) it shows a real non-snowy Christmas, 2) it is a surprisingly good political commentary on Brexit, 3) I have the same name as the main character and 4) it makes me cry every time. Despite this, my family aren’t fussed, but I have taken it upon myself to force them to watch it every Christmas Eve before we go to bed (because by then they don’t have the energy to deny me the movie). Kate has a good character arc, going from disinterested in her culture, manic and male-centred to embracing her family, bettering herself by making things right with her friends and helping out in her community. And the film only has George Michael songs so it’s inherently perfect.
-Kate Kennedy, TV Sub-Editor
It’s not Christmas Eve in my house until we are all tucked up on the sofa with a hot chocolate watching The Polar Express. I know it’s not everyone’s cup of tea, but to me it’s the obvious choice. Set on Christmas Eve, it is the perfect balance between funny and heartwarming, just what you need for a moment of calm before the chaos of Christmas Day. The Polar Express has something for everyone, and I love it just as much now as I did as a child. Our cosy tradition is the one I look forward most throughout December and what I picture when I think of Christmas, I can’t imagine Christmas Eve without it!
-Ruby Tinkler, Food and Drink Sub-Editor