“The best way to spread Christmas cheer is singing loud for all to hear” - Buddy The Elf... and also us the whole way through December.
It’s officially the most wonderful time of the year - and that means cosying up by the fire with our most festive pyjamas on, cradling a hot chocolate, and pressing play on our favourite Christmas movies.
And there are so many wonderfully festive movie options to get us in the spirit - from family-friendly favourites to romantic classics that will melt the hearts of even the biggest Scrooge. Plus, they’re all packed with amazing one liners which come in handy for Christmas cards, festive Instagram captions, and general festive cheer-spreading.
Whether you’re a sucker for Miracle On 34th Street and Home Alone, or something more whimsical like Elf or The Grinch, read on for our favourite Christmas movies and their most iconic quotes to get you in the spirit.
Home Alone (1990)
Few films define Christmas like Home Alone. While this year, a controversial (to say the least) remake emerged, there’s just no replacing the classic moment Catherine O’Hara forgets her son whilst flying hallway across the world - whilst he’s busy throwing paint cans at local criminals. Christmas movie, or every parent’s worst nightmare - we all love the heartwarming end to this huge family favourite.
- “You’re what the French call ‘les incompetents.'” — Linnie McCallister
- “I'm eating junk and watching rubbish! You better come out and stop me!" — Kevin McCallister
- “KEVIN!!!” — Kate McCallister
- “I’m gonna give you to the count of ten, to get your ugly, yella, no-good keister off my property. Before I pump your guts full of lead! 1, 2, 10!” — Gangster 'Johnny'
- Harry: “Why the hell did you take your shoes off?”. Marv: “Why the hell are you dressed like a chicken?” — Harry & Marv
How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000)
You can’t go wrong with this Christmas staple about a solitary, green and grumpy man, who hatches a plan to steal Christmas from the cheerful Whos of Whoville - learning along the way that Christmas isn’t just about the material things on the surface. The 2000 live action movie featuring Jim Carrey is our favourite, but both the classic and newer animations are pretty great too.
- “Am I just eating because I’m bored?” — The Grinch
- “Blast this Christmas music. It’s joyful and triumphant.” — The Grinch
- “What if Christmas, he thought, doesn't come from a store. What if Christmas... perhaps... means a little bit more!” — Narrator
- “Be it ever so heinous, there’s no place like home.” — The Grinch
- “Now you listen to me, young lady! Even if we’re horribly mangled, there’ll be no sad faces on Christmas.” — The Grinch
- “No one should be alone on Christmas.” — Cindy Lou Who
Elf (2003)
Elf is possibly the most quotable Christmas movie ever made. Buddy, a human who grows up in the North Pole believing he’s an elf, travels to New York City to search for his real father. Unaccustomed to life outside the North Pole and dressed in full elf attire, his chaotic adventure includes everything from his first trip to Gimbels department store, to visiting his Dad’s office in the Empire State Building. Funny and charming, it was a surprising triumph that won the heart of millions.
- “You stink! You smell like beef and cheese, you don’t smell like Santa.” — Buddy
- “SANTA! Oh my God! Santa, here?! I know him! I know him!” — Buddy
- “Son of a nutcracker!” — Buddy
- “You have such a pretty face. You should be on a Christmas card.” — Buddy
- “Does Santa know you left the workshop?” — Buddy
- “I thought maybe we could make gingerbread houses, and eat cookie dough, and go ice skating, and maybe even hold hands” — Buddy
- “It’s just nice to meet another human that shares my affinity for elf culture” — Buddy
- “The best way to spread Christmas cheer is singing loud for all to hear” — Buddy
- “There’s room for everyone on the nice list” — Buddy
- “You did it! Congratulations! World’s best cup of coffee! Great job, everybody! It’s great to be here.” — Buddy
- “We elves try to stick to the four main food groups: Candy, candy canes, candy corn, and syrup.” — Buddy
- “This place reminds me of Santa’s Workshop. Except it smells like mushrooms and everyone looks like they want to hurt me.” — Buddy
- “I just like to smile. Smiling’s my favorite.” — Buddy
- “I am a cotton-headed ninny muggins!” — Buddy
- “I planned out our whole day. First we make snow angels for two hours, and then we’ll go ice skating, and then we’ll eat a whole roll of Tollhouse Cookie Dough as fast as we can, and then to finish, we’ll snuggle.” — Buddy
- “Buddy the Elf, what’s your favorite color?” — Buddy
- "I think you're really beautiful and I feel really warm when I'm around you and my tongue swells up." — Buddy
Die Hard (1988)
It’s a debate for the ages: is Die Hard a Christmas movie or not? Given this is the only time of year we’ve ever known anyone to watch Die Hard, we’re going to go with yes - it’s a Christmas movie. It features Bruce Willis who visits his estranged wife at Christmas party, only to be interrupted by a group of terrorists - leaving it up to him to save the hostages. As long as this movie continues to grip us, we’re more than okay with it being on the Christmas movie list.
- “I Have A Machine Gun. Ho Ho Ho.” — Han Gruber
- “Yippee ki-yay, mother fucker!” — John McClane
Die Hard 2 (1990)
- “Eggnog, a fuckin’ Christmas tree, a little turkey. But no! I gotta crawl around in this motherfuckin’ tin can!” — John McClane
- “Just once I’d like a regular, normal Christmas!” — John McClane
Miracle on 34th Street (1947 & 1994)
When a man called Kris Kringle replaces an intoxicated Santa Claus in Macy’s annual parade and claims he’s the real thing, it leads to a court case to determine his mental health and how authentic his claim really is. Whether your favourite version of the tale comes from 1947 or 1994, there’s no denying that both films are all-time Christmas classics.
- “I believe, I believe, it’s silly, but I believe.” — Susan Walker
- “I'm not just a whimsical figure who wears a charming suit and affects a jolly demeanor. You know, I'm a symbol.” — Kris Kringle
- “Oh, Christmas isn’t just a day, it’s a frame of mind.” — Kris Kringle
- “Faith is believing in things when common sense tells you not to.” — Fred Gailey
Home Alone 2 (1992)
Why have one film when you can have two? In the sequel to the Christmas classic, Kevin is separated from his family a second time (we’re sensing a pattern here) - this time, accidentally getting on a plane to New York while his family head to Florida. Alone in the Big Apple, the usual chaos ensues, as Kevin tries to stop the Sticky Bandits from robbing a toy store just before Christmas.
- “It’s a nice night for a neck injury” — Kevin McCallister
- “Merry Christmas, ya filthy animal” — Kevin McCallister
- “Two scoops, sir?” “Two? Make it three. I’m not driving.” — Kevin McCallister
- “You can mess with a lot of things. But you can’t mess with kids on Christmas”. — Kevin McCallister
Love Actually (2003)
Multiple love stories intertwine in this humorous, heartwarming, and sometimes heart-wrenching film about the complex nature of love and how it connects us all. Featuring a star-studded cast including Bill Nighy, Hugh Grant and Keira Knightly to name a few, it's a Christmas time favourite for good reason.
- “I’ll just be hanging around the mistletoe, hoping to be kissed.” — Mia
- “If you look for it, I’ve got a sneaky feeling you’ll find that love is actually all around.” — David
- “But for now, let me say. Without hope or agenda. Just because it's Christmas. And at Christmas you tell the truth. To me, you are perfect.” — Mark
- “I love you even when you’re sick and look disgusting” — Jamie Some More
Christmas Movies Quotes We Love
- “A sequel. That’s it. We’ll bring it out on March 25, and we’ll call it… Christmas 2!” — B.Z., Santa Claus: The Movie (1985)
- “Merry Christmas Merry Christmas Kiss my ass. Kiss his ass. Kiss your ass. Happy Hanukkah” — National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation (1989)
- “There’s a certain magic that comes with the very first snow. For when the first snow is also a Christmas snow, well, something wonderful is bound to happen.” — Frosty the Snowman (1969)
- “It's Christmas Eve. It's the one night of the year when we all act a little nicer, we smile a little easier, we cheer a little more. For a couple of hours out of the whole year we are the people that we always hoped we would be.” — Scrooged (1988)
- “I gotta tell you Santa, there's something about this place that doesn’t seem quite… Kosher” — Jingle All The Way (1996)
- “I want my house to be seen from space!” — Deck The Halls (2006)
- “Seeing is believing, but sometimes the most real things in the world are the things we can't see.” — The Polar Express (2004)