7 Can’t-Miss Hallmark Christmas Movies to Catch This Season

You know you love them. And with 40 new holiday films hitting your small screen right now, we’ve got the ultimate watchlist

Kristi Dosh,

AARP

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En español

Published November 18, 2022

Andrew Walker, Tyler Hynes and Paul Campbell with Santa Claus and a baby in Hallmark Channel's Three Wise Men and a Baby

Andrew Walker, Tyler Hynes and Paul Campbell star in "Three Wise Men and a Baby."

Bettina Strauss/Hallmark

It’s that time of year again. Break out the blankets, fire up those gas logs and get cozy on the couch with a cup of cocoa for 40 — yes, 40! — new Christmas and Hanukkah movies on Hallmark Channel and Hallmark Movies & Mysteries.

This year’s lineup is more diverse than ever with Hallmark’s first movie focused on Kwanzaa, two films featuring Chinese culture, its first focusing on the story of an LGBTQ+ couple, a storyline that includes dealing with dementia, and its annual Hanukkah movie.

This year, Peacock is streaming the movies in its new Hallmark Hub, and you can also stream through the Hallmark TV app, so you won’t have to miss a single one. Don’t know where to start? Put these seven new holiday tearjerkers at the top of your watchlist.

(Extra pro tip: Want to really gain control of your Hallmark holiday season? Hallmark offers a movie checklist app to help you track which movies you’ve seen and get reminders for the ones you still want to watch.)

Christmas at the Golden Dragon

Christmas at the Golden Dragon is one of two Hallmark films this season featuring Chinese American culture during the holiday season (the other is A Big Fat Family Christmas). Siblings Romy (played by Chinese American actress Kara Wang) and Rick have always spent their holidays working at their parents’ popular Chinese restaurant, the Golden Dragon. When Romy’s parents allow her to take the holiday off to have a “real Christmas” with her boyfriend’s family in Vermont, her initial excitement is replaced by mixed emotions upon learning her parents are closing the restaurant for good just before the holidays.

This film is a touching intersection of the stories of Romy and Rick and several of the employees and patrons impacted by the restaurant’s closure.

Watch it: Christmas at the Golden Dragon premieres Nov. 13 at 8 p.m. ET on the Hallmark Channel.

Haul Out the Holly

Hallmark sweetheart Lacey Chabert stars in her record-breaking 12th Hallmark Christmas movie as the lead in Haul Out the Holly. Alone at her parents’ house for the holidays unexpectedly, Emily (Chabert) fights an age-old opponent: the homeowners association. Except instead of the typical HOA that tells her what she can’t display outside her parents’ home, this one forces her to participate in its many Christmas festivities. Luckily, Emily gets a little help from a handsome neighbor played by Hallmark regular Wes Brown.

Watch it: Haul Out the Holly premieres Nov. 26 at 8 p.m. ET on the Hallmark Channel.

The Holiday Sitter

Workaholic bachelor Sam is babysitting his niece and nephew before the holidays. Things get interesting when he recruits his handsome neighbor Jason to bail him out of his babysitting blunders. Hallmark’s first film featuring a gay couple front and center, it stars and was produced by Jonathan Bennett, star of Hallmark’s first movie with a gay couple as supporting characters, The Christmas House.

Watch it: The Holiday Sitter premieres Dec. 11 at 8 p.m. ET on the Hallmark Channel.

Holiday Heritage

Ella returns home for the holidays with hopes of mending fences with her fractured family. She and her ex-boyfriend Griffin attempt to bring the family together to celebrate Kwanzaa and Christmas as they heal old wounds. Hallmark regular Holly Robinson Pete joins the cast of Hallmark’s first Kwanzaa film in a supporting role.

The centerpiece of Kwanzaa is a series of seven candles that are lit from Dec. 26 to Jan. 1, which represent the seven principles of African heritage (Nguzo Saba): Umoja (Unity), Kujichagulia (Self-Determination), Ujima (Collective Work and Responsibility), Ujamaa (Cooperative Economics), Nia (Purpose), Kuumba (Creativity) and Imani (Faith). Those seven principles come into play as Ella’s family forges a new path.

Watch it: Holiday Heritage premieres Dec. 16 at 8 p.m. ET on the Hallmark Channel.

Jeremy Jordan and Yael Grobglas smiling in a scene in Hallmark Channel's Hanukkah on Rye

Jeremy Jordan and Yael Grobglas star in "Hanukkah on Rye."

Steven Ackerman/Hallmark

Hanukkah on Rye

Hallmark’s annual Hanukkah movie this year is the story of Jacob and Molly, whose families both own Jewish delis. They meet when Jacob goes to New York City to scout for a new location and chooses one on the same block as Molly’s, making them instant competitors. What they don’t know is that they’re writing letters to one another through an old-school matchmaking service their meddling bubbes (Jewish grandmothers) have pushed them into because of their shared failure at finding love. Music fans might recognize one of the supporting actors in this film: singer-songwriter Lisa Loeb (“Stay”).

Watch it: Hanukkah on Rye premieres Dec. 18 at 8 p.m. ET on the Hallmark Channel.

Three Wise Men and a Baby

If you liked Three Men and a Baby, you’ll love this Christmas adaptation. After finding a baby on the doorstep of his firehouse with a note asking for someone to take care of him/her until Christmas, firefighter Luke enlists the help of his two brothers to care for the child. The brothers don’t exactly see eye to eye. After experiencing a series of mishaps, they learn they must work together to make it through the week.

Hallmark fans will enjoy this all-star cast of familiar faces, including Paul Campbell, Tyler Hynes and Andrew Walker as the brothers. Margaret Colin, who appeared in the original Three Men and a Baby, joins the cast as the mother of the brothers.

Watch it: Three Wise Men and a Baby premieres Nov. 19 at 8 p.m. ET on the Hallmark Channel.

Our Italian Christmas Memories

Christmas is nothing if not the time of year we all try to recreate family traditions. That’s true for the Colucci siblings, who set out to recreate their late grandmother’s legendary pasta sauce. It’s all an effort to jog the memory of their grandfather (played by Beau Bridges), who is struggling with dementia. It’s Anna’s first time home in years, and she’s surprised to witness how much her grandfather’s dementia has advanced. As she struggles to replicate the recipe, sparks begin to fly with her grandfather’s doctor, and wounds begin to heal with her siblings.

Watch it: Our Italian Christmas Memories on Fubo, DirecTV.

Editor's note: This article was originally published on Dec. 3, 2020. It has been updated with new movies to watch this season.

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