Picture, if you will, this familiar holiday scene: It's Dec. 23 and you're reclining on the couch in front of a lit fireplace, chewing on your umpteenth candy cane of the night. Just as you begin nodding off to sleep, someone in your family blurts out a suggestion: "Let's watch ____!"
It's a different movie for every family, but each of us seems to have that one movie that best embodies the holiday spirit. It is a tradition that has become as deep-rooted in our culture as decorating a Christmas tree or filling stockings with candy. So what are some of Penn Staters' favorite holiday films?
"I've always been partial to A Charlie Brown Christmas. It's a tradition for me. I've always liked Charlie Brown anyway and this movie is the epitome of the Christmas spirit." -- Eric Dubs (sophomore-engineering)
"A Christmas Story, because of Ralphie's little brother. I just love the way he can't get his arms out of his sleeves when he puts his snowsuit on." -- Katie Loughney (freshman-secondary education)
"Since I was a kid, I've always liked the Claymation ones they show on TV like Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer. It's a different kind of art, so it really grabbed my attention when I was younger and I still appreciate it now." -- Stephanie Herr (senior-animal bioscience)
"Miracle on 34th Street, I guess, because it's a cute story about Santa Claus. I like the way it suggests that miracles can happen." -- Wendy Luber (junior-agricultural extension education)
"Emmet Otter's Jug-Band Christmas. Jim Henson did it. It's a classic." -- Earl Campbell (senior-speech communication)
"I'd have to go with Home Alone. It's a kiddies' movie and it's a good relief, but it's not too goofy. It's good for all ages." -- Jonathan Chukinas (freshman-engineering)
"The Grinch. My favorite part is when his heart starts growing. It's just such a happy movie." -- Kathleen Wood (freshman-health and human development)
"I like how Scrooged has a sick sense of humor to it. And it's on TV all the time, so you don't have to pay 89 cents to watch it." -- Jamye Fasold (junior-psychology)
"National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation is so funny. That's what Christmas is all about." -- Megan Humphrey (junior-kinesiology)
"A Christmas Story. It's so good; it's so funny; it's a classic." -- Matt Minora (freshman-French)
"Die Hard. It's kind of an amalgam of the Christmas spirit and it's got a lot of action, so it's not boring and it's not sappy." -- Rachel Steranko (senior-English)
-- Compiled by Nicholas Norcia
