Remember The Spirit of Christmas By Watching a Christmas DVD

I was flipping through the channels on tv when I came across a rerun of "The Middle" on ABC the other night and it happened to be their Christmas episode. Despite the fact that it was July, maybe they were going for the Christmas in July idea, it did a good job of portraying just how stressful and difficult the holidays can be. The show gave us different examples of how certain holiday activities we do to get us all into the Christmas spirit can sometimes be a little counterproductive and have the opposite effect.

So as I watched The Middle’s Christmas episode I thought how great TV’s and movie’s are at getting me into the Christmas Spirit. Christmas movies and television episodes are cheesy, especially the hallmark movies but you know what?  They usually put us into a better mood and send out messages to us adults that we seem to have forgotten.  These are my top 5 Christmas DVD’s that help put me into a better mood for the holidays and can remind all of us what the true meaning of Christmas is all about. 

A Christmas Carol is one of the ultimate examples to me of what the meaning of Christmas is. We have all heard the expression don’t be a scrooge but what does that mean exactly? I think it just means to not be greedy and to think outside of yourself. There are so many choices for A Christmas Carol dvd. You can get my favorite kid’s holiday movie, Mickey’s A Christmas Carol. It’s short and sweet and features all you favorite Mickey Mouse Characters playing all the parts. You can also get the most recent Disney adaption starring Jim Carrey, although I haven’t seen this version I heard it was a little scary for young kids even though it was made for them. You can also just get the classic adaption starring Alastair Slim. There are so many versions I had to write another article on finding just a Christmas Carol DVD.

I have to admit I had never seen this film by Frank Capra until a few years ago but it is now a part of my DVD collection that I like to pull out at Christmastime. James Stewart stars as George Bailey a man at the pit of despair and thinks everyone would be better off he had never been born.  Right when he is about the end it all an angel trying to get his wings comes and shows him what everyone’s life would be like without him in it. This is a holiday classic that is a good reminder to not get down for too long and that we are important to those around us.

 This is one of my dad’s all time favorite’s.  He is a big softy when it comes to movies and we like to make fun of him for it but who doesn’t enjoy a feel good movie that let’s us believe again.  I think hope is one of the most important parts of our lives and that is what Christmas does.  It rekindles our hope in ourselves, in our family and friends and it gives us hope in a better world for all mankind. (No, I am not trying to be Miss America although it does kind of sound like it…)  So if you are needing to be reminded of how valuable hope is in your life pick up the Miracle on 34^th street dvd and watch how a little kid can show the world how important it is to believe in something.

To me the best movies for reminding us of what is important in life are kid’s movies. Why is that movie’s geared toward older audiences are filled with all the harsh reality’s of life while kid’s movies are full of hopes, dreams and imaginations that we put behind us years ago. I think Dr. Seuss teaches us all well in his classic story “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” of how we become bitter and disillusioned by life by telling us the story about the “mean one Mr. Grinch.” Don’t we all have a little Grinch in us that is a little jealous at others and suspicious of their motives? When you have those feelings long enough you heart does shrink and it’s easy for us to become the exact person we were leery of to begin with. Cindy Lou shows us how to trust others and their intentions. Sometimes we are wrong and trust the wrong people but it doesn’t mean that all people don’t have a heart and that sometimes, like the narrator, we can misjudge that someone that doesn’t seem like they have a heart at all really just needs a little love.

Yet, another kid’s holiday movie that is enjoyed by almost everyone.  I shouldn’t admit this but I think my family and I quote this movie a little too much and we aren’t even big fans of quoting movies, maybe it’s because it’s one of my nephews’ favorites. “KEEEEEVVVVINNNN.” My personal favorite quote from Home Alone is probably one most people don’t even remember from the movie, “a nice cheese pizza just for me.”   I think of that every time I sit down to eat cheese pizza.  See movies do influence us. 
Ok, sorry for the quotes but think about it for a minute.  How many movies today  can you name that came out before the year 1998 that kids under 10 enjoy.  Sure there are some of the Disney Classic’s (from the 90’s!)  but the pacing and animation has changed a lot over the years. There I went again on…
Back to the Christmas Spirit.  Kevin McAllister wants nothing more than to spend the holidays without his family that are driving him nuts.  Again it’s like “It’s a Wonderful Life, he  feels like everyone else and himself are better off if he was just by himself. That’s where a lonely old man and a couple of misfit burglars teach him that life is better when you are surrounded by people you love.  No matter how great it is to sometimes have the world to yourself we all need our family and friends to survive this world.

Looking for even more movies to watch this Christmas, don't forget Hallmark movies.  They might be cheesier then most but they definitely help you feel that Christmas spirit!  Thanks to the DVD you can buy Hallmark Christmas DVDs for almost all of your favorite movies