45 Important Lessons Christmas Movies Have Taught Us

For the seasoned holiday celebrator, there are many vital Christmas lessons that will eventually be learned over the years. Like not to wait until Christmas Eve to do your shopping, remember to keep the tree watered and if you have a cat, put the shiniest and most delicate ornaments out of paw’s reach, if possible. Also avoid tinsel. If you have a cat, you know why. As it happens, movies are also chock full of learning lessons, especially Christmas movies (and in some cases, movies with memorable Christmas scenes), which is where this list comes in, complete with helpful gif illustrations...

We'll start with basics that apply to life as much as to Christmas...

It's ok to turn down a dare once in a while. You don't want to be the kid standing out in the cold.

Stuck

Don't take rides from strangers...

ghost of present

...or fruit spray...

Fruit spray

Sometimes you get a gift you don't want. Wear it with pride. Someone loves you...

Pink nightmare

Ornaments hurt a lot more on the floor than they do on the tree...

Candy cane grams are a fair indication of social status (You go Glen Coco!)...

Candy santa

Egg nog may lead to mildly destructive behavior...

egg nog

Make sure you have enough to eat...

Fish beard

...especially if you plan on drinking heavily during tense family gatherings...

Drunk

A good song can be wrecked with a bad Christmas cover...

Christmas is all around us

But good dance moves never go out of style...

Mean Girls

Just be sure to watch where you're going...

George and Mary

Don't assume that just because it's Christmas, you stand a chance against Arnold...

Unless you're the Big Show...

Big show

Watch out for that escalator, it's a doozy...

Escalator

And is better ridden standing up...

Don't underestimate the resourcefulness of children...

Home Alone 1

Home Alone 2

Or the pissed off cop sneaking through your air ducts and elevator shafts...

Die Hard

Be sure to clean out the car once in a while...

...and empty the shitter.

shitter was full

On the subject of Santas, it's crucial to recognize the difference between real Santa and fake Santa...

Santa tackle

Real Santa...

Dutch song

Fake Santa...

Elf Santa

Real Santa...

The Santa Clause bench

Drunk Santa...

Ref santa

Mean Santa...

Christmas story boot

Bad Santa...

Lunch Break

As for Christmas ghosts...

Muppets Marley

If you find yourself getting visited by spirits, Dickens-style, they might try to fool you into thinking that the Ghost of Christmas Present is the friendly one...

Muppet ghost

But check which version you're in! Sometimes he is really, seriously creepy...

Or he's a she, and she's really violent...

Scrooged Ghost

Scrooged Ghost 2

She's rough but she means well...

Things can get crazy around the holidays...

Santa pile up

Emotions are running high...

Clark rant

ralphie fight

Family tension can erupt...

Excuse me

And for some people, the holiday triggers sad memories...

Sleepless

Also in rare cases, horrible memories about dad dying in a chimney...

Gremlins

Some people are just going through a rough patch...

Aykroyd

So try to keep in mind what really matters...

The music...

Horses

The smiles...

Beth

Ok, fine, the presents too...

Potter

present cat

And the food...

But also family...

Wonderful Life

Laughter and good friends...

Potter

Expressions of love...

Love actually

And the squirrels...

Squirrel

Merry Christmas to all! And to all a good, safe and happy holiday season...

Feed me

Kelly West
Assistant Managing Editor

Kelly joined CinemaBlend as a freelance TV news writer in 2006 and went on to serve as the site’s TV Editor before moving over to other roles on the site. At present, she’s an Assistant Managing Editor who spends much of her time brainstorming and editing feature content on the site. She an expert in all things Harry Potter, books from a variety of genres (sci-fi, mystery, horror, YA, drama, romance -- anything with a great story and interesting characters.), watching Big Brother, frequently rewatching The Office, listening to Taylor Swift, and playing The Sims.