--- title: 13 Holiday Movies & TV Episodes To Watch This Weekend description: How can you learn from watching a movie in English? Here are some suggestions: image: https://blog.approachusa.org/hubfs/blog_banner3%20(1)-2.png --- - [Contact Us](https://approachusa.org/contact-us/) - [Apply Now](https://approachusa.org/application-form-2/) Menu - [Programs of Study](https://approachusa.org/programs-of-study/) - [English as a Second Language (ESL)](https://approachusa.org/esl/) - [Test Preparation (TOEFL, GMAT, GRE, SAT)](https://approachusa.org/testprep/) - [Advanced Programs](https://approachusa.org/speccialty-programs/) - [ESL Teen Culture Program](https://approachusa.org/youth-programs/) - [Student Services](https://approachusa.org/student-services-2/) - [Join our Community](https://pages.approachusa.org/approachusa-community) - [Blog](https://blog.approachusa.org/) - [Academic & Career Advising](https://approachusa.org/academicadvising/) - [Student Activities](https://approachusa.org/academic-activities/) - [Students’ Success Stories](https://approachusa.org/students-success-stories/) - [Housing](https://approachusa.org/student-services/) - [Admissions](https://pages.approachusa.org/en-us/our-programs-usa) - [Apply from Abroad](https://pages.approachusa.org/applying-from-abroad) - [Tuition and Fees](https://pages.approachusa.org/tuition-and-fees) [![Approach International Student Center®](https://blog.approachusa.org/hs-fs/hubfs/raw_assets/public/Approach_USA_April2021/images/header_logo.png?height=500&name=header_logo.png "Approach International Student Center®")](https://approachusa.org/) - Call us today **[+1 617 787 5401](https://wa.me/16177875401)** - Email us **[admissions@approachusa.com](mailto:admissions@approachusa.com)** ![](https://blog.approachusa.org/hubfs/blog_banner3%20(1)-2.png) # 13 Holiday Movies & TV Episodes To Watch This Weekend Published by [Annie Kenworthy](https://blog.approachusa.org/author/annie-kenworthy) on Nov 12, 2021 3:54:25 PM I love this time of year! Late Fall to early Winter is called “the Holiday Season” during which Americans may celebrate holidays such as Halloween, Diwali, Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanzaa, and New Year’s, among others. Here are holiday movies to enjoy with your loved ones this season! I’ve tried to include movies and TV shows you may not know, which are also good for English language learners ;) ![](https://blog.approachusa.org/hubfs/blog_banner3%20(2)-png.png) How can you learn from watching a movie in English? Here are some suggestions: 1) Comprehension: Try to answer questions about the main ideas of the story. Who are the main characters? Where are they? What are they doing? When are the main events happening? 2) Vocabulary: Write down new words, phrases, jokes, questions, or responses that YOU want to use! WordReference or Linguee can help you to understand what they mean. 3) Grammar: What is a grammar point you want to practice? (For example The Present Perfect, articles, adverbs...) Choose one grammar point and listen for when the characters use it. Write it down and say it out loud! 4) Watch with English audio and English subtitles. (Using subtitles in your native language or no subtitles at all is fine too!) 5) Watch your favorite scenes or the entire movie again and again! The more you repeat, the more language you will learn and remember. HALLOWEEN 1. Hocus Pocus (1993) One Halloween night in 1993 in Salem, Massachusetts, a teenager Sam, his sister Dani, and friend Allison go to the Sanderson house. They wake up the Sanderson sisters, three witches from 1693.1 Together, they must defeat the witches before Halloween ends! (Available on Disney + and Amazon Prime Video) ![Hocus Pocus (1993) - IMDb](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMWUxNWI0YTYtY2RiZS00ZjNmLTg4ZGUtNDI0Mzk4NmQ5NWE5XkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyNjk1Njg5NTA@._V1_FMjpg_UX1000_.jpg)   THANKSGIVING 2. Home for the Holidays (1995) Join the Larson family for Thanksgiving at their home in Baltimore, Maryland2 in this fun comedy we can all relate to! (Available on Amazon Prime Video) ![Home for the Holidays (1995 film) - Wikipedia](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/c/ce/Home_for_the_Holidays_film.jpg) 3. Miracle on 34th Street (1994) This classic story begins with a Thanksgiving Day parade and ends with Christmas. 6 year-old Susan Walker and the city of New York join in a debate over the beloved man Kris Kingle and whether or not Santa Clause really exists.3 (Available on Hulu and Amazon Prime Video) ![Miracle on 34th Street (1994) - IMDb](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BZjk3M2UyN2YtNmQ1MS00MWI3LWEzNGMtYTRkM2E5MWNjOWJjL2ltYWdlL2ltYWdlXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMTQxNzMzNDI@._V1_.jpg) HANUKKAH 4. Fiddler on the Roof (1971) This musical tells the story of Tevye, a poor Jewish milkman and his family in 1905 in the Ukranian village of Anatevka.4 While not specifically about Hannahukah, this heart-warming classic will certainly get you in the holiday spirit! (Available on Amazon Prime Video) ![Fiddler on the Roof (1971) - IMDb](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMWMxNDYzNmUtYjFmNC00MGM2LWFmNzMtODhlMGNkNDg5MjE5XkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyNjE5MjUyOTM@._V1_.jpg) 5. A Rugrats Chanukah (1996) This family-friendly episode of the children’s TV show Rugrats celebrates the story of Hanukkah5 in a way that both children and adults will enjoy! (Available on Amazon Prime Video) ![A Rugrats Chanukah (1996) — The Movie Database (TMDB)](https://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/w500/kkPAIbatNJGQlGMoehyJzeaZPCc.jpg) CHRISTMAS 6. A Christmas Story (1983) This classic comedy follows the young boy Ralphie Parker in the 1960s in Indiana.6 You will laugh as he and his family navigate the winter and Christmas! (Available on Hulu and Amazon Prime Video) ![A Christmas Story (1983) - IMDb](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BOWMyNjE0MzEtMzVjNy00NjIxLTg0ZjMtMWJhNGI1YmVjYTczL2ltYWdlXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyNzc5MjA3OA@@._V1_.jpg) 7. It’s A Wonderful Life (1946) On Christmas Eve in 1945 in a small town in New York, life is difficult and George Bailey wishes he had never been born.7 An angel shows him what the world would be like if he had never been born, and he realizes that life really is wonderful! (Available on Amazon Prime Video) ![It's a Wonderful Life - Wikipedia](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/25/It%27s_a_Wonderful_Life_%281946_poster%29.jpeg/1200px-It%27s_a_Wonderful_Life_%281946_poster%29.jpeg) 8. Love Actually (2003) This romantic comedy follows ten different relationships in the UK around Christmas-time.8 Watch to see how all the people are connected and practice listening to British English! (Available on Amazon Prime Video) ![Love Actually (2003) - IMDb](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMTY4NjQ5NDc0Nl5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTYwNjk5NDM3._V1_FMjpg_UX1000_.jpg) 9. The Family Stone (2005) Everett Stone brings his serious, cold girlfriend Meredith home to his family for Christmas in Connecticut.9 You will laugh and enjoy this story about family and love! (Available on Amazon Prime Video) ![The Family Stone (2005) - IMDb](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BZGI2MzYwNmQtOWRkZC00MTNkLWI4NzItMzg0YWQwMjM3ODFmXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMTEyMDcwNw@@._V1_.jpg) KWANZAA 10. The Proud Family, “Seven Days of Kwanzaa”, Season 1 Episode 11 (2001) This episode of The Proud Family follows the Prouds as they become friends with a family who celebrates Kwanzaa and they learn the real meaning of the holidays.1o (Available on Disney + and Amazon Prime Video) ![The Proud Family: Season 1 (2001) — The Movie Database (TMDb)](https://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/w500/epZ4aIu0zFMz1IVCvBhfHscfxkZ.jpg) 11. Everybody Hates Chris, “Everybody Hates Kwanzaa”, Season 3 Episode 10 (2007) In this episode of the family comedy Everybody Hates Chris, teenager Chris’s family celebrates Kwanzaa for the first time in Brooklyn, New York.11 (Available on Hulu and Amazon Prime Video) ![Watch Everybody Hates Chris Online | Season 3 (2007) | TV Guide](https://www.tvguide.com/a/img/catalog/provider/1/1/1-7587083372.jpg) NEW YEAR’S 12. New Year’s Eve (2011) This romantic comedy follows several connected people in New York on New Year’s Eve as they learn about love and try to solve their problems!12 (Available on Amazon Prime Video) ![New Year's Eve (2011 film) - Wikipedia](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/b/b0/New_Year%27s_Eve_Poster.jpg/220px-New_Year%27s_Eve_Poster.jpg) 13. The Holiday (2006) Iris from the UK and Amanda from California switch homes for the holiday season and find love.13 (Available on Hulu, Netflix, and Amazon Prime Video) ![The Holiday (2006) - IMDb](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMTI1MDk4MzA2OF5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTYwMjQ3NDc3._V1_.jpg) As temperatures are dropping and you find yourself more and more inside with your family and friends, drink some hot chocolate and enjoy these movies! ☕   References 1 “Hocus Pocus (1993 Film).” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 10 Nov. 2021, [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hocus\_Pocus\_(1993\_film)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hocus_Pocus_(1993_film)). 2 Wikimedia Foundation. (2021, November 5). Home for the holidays (1995 film). Wikipedia. Retrieved November 11, 2021, from [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Home\_for\_the\_Holidays\_(1995\_film)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Home_for_the_Holidays_(1995_film)). 3 “Miracle on 34th Street (1994 Film).” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 20 Oct. 2021, [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miracle\_on\_34th\_Street\_(1994\_film)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miracle_on_34th_Street_(1994_film)). 4 “Fiddler on the Roof (Film).” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 6 Nov. 2021, [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fiddler\_on\_the\_Roof\_(film)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fiddler_on_the_Roof_(film)). 5 “A Rugrats Chanukah.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 12 Oct. 2021, [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A\_Rugrats\_Chanukah](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Rugrats_Chanukah). 6 “A Christmas Story.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 4 Nov. 2021, [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A\_Christmas\_Story](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Christmas_Story). 7 “It's a Wonderful Life.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 5 Nov. 2021, [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/It%27s\_a\_Wonderful\_Life](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/It%27s_a_Wonderful_Life). 8 “Love Actually.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 29 Oct. 2021, [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Love\_Actually](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Love_Actually). 9 “The Family Stone.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 1 Oct. 2021, [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The\_Family\_Stone](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Family_Stone). 1o “Seven Days of Kwanzaa.” The Proud Family Wiki, [https://theproudfamily.fandom.com/wiki/Seven\_Days\_Of\_Kwanzaa](https://theproudfamily.fandom.com/wiki/Seven_Days_Of_Kwanzaa). 11 “Everybody Hates Kwanzaa.” Everybody Hates Chris Wiki, [https://everybodyhateschris.fandom.com/wiki/Everybody\_Hates\_Kwanzaa](https://everybodyhateschris.fandom.com/wiki/Everybody_Hates_Kwanzaa). 12 “New Year's Eve (2011 Film).” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 16 Sept. 2021, [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New\_Year%27s\_Eve\_(2011\_film)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Year%27s_Eve_(2011_film)). 13 “The Holiday.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 5 Nov. 2021, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The\_Holiday. 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