Best Holiday Movies To Watch By Your Fireplace
When you think of Christmas, it’s hard not to imagine a warm and toasty fire crackling in the fireplace with stockings and Christmas decorations adorning the hearth. Enjoying the fireplace is a holiday tradition as old as the celebration itself!
Throughout time and across cultures holiday celebrations have centered around the hearth as fire warms the home. In the modern era, centering the holiday around the fireplace continues with the added activity of a relatively recent tradition – watching holiday movies. The movie industry goes crazy when the holidays roll around as people everywhere settle in around their home theater systems and watch their favorite Christmas flick. From Home Alone to White Christmas, classic film comes to life and leaves many people with two questions:
- Is Die Hard a Christmas Movie?
- Can I mount my TV above my fireplace?
At Lords Chimney we don’t blame anyone for wanting to enjoy their favorite holiday movies while also enjoying a cozy fire. Lucky for you, we know a thing or two about fireplace safety – and as an added bonus, we can offer our favorite holiday movies to watch while enjoying the Yule log.
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Is Mounting a TV Above My Fireplace Safe?
In order to enjoy those movies you are definitely going to want to have a TV correctly installed in a safe place in your home. But can you install a TV directly above your fireplace? The answer isn’t as straightforward as it may seem. There are many variables at stake, and what works for one household may not work for another. Keep the following tips in mind:
- Televisions & Heat Should Never Meet: Televisions are simply not made to withstand high temperatures. The components that allow you to enjoy the HD world of Buddy the Elf are not components that hold up to the heat put off by flames and high heat. Most of the time, electric fireplaces won’t cause a problem for a TV mounted above it. Gas and traditional fireplaces, however, can produce enough heat to damage your television, causing it to shut down without warning.
- Know Your Fireplace & Chimney: Understanding what your chimney and fireplace are made of, how they work, where the hidden parts are located, and how to avoid damage to them is crucial to keeping your fireplace in good, safe, working order. Mounting a TV takes specific hardware for specific kinds of material that you are mounting to. What may look to be drywall could be covering up a different material that surrounds your fireplace.
- Consider Professional Services: Our professionals at Lords Chimney are able to take into consideration the many different factors that can determine the feasibility of mounting a TV above your fireplace. In some circumstances, we can help adjust things to make it a safer option.
At Lords Chimney we hold safety standards in the highest regard. That is why we believe that when it comes to placing anything around your fireplace you do some homework first. And, as always, before you start installing anything around your fireplace consider giving our professionals a call ahead of time. Our knowledge of fireplaces and chimneys will allow you to move forward with confidence that you aren’t putting your home in danger.
Your Go-To Holiday Movie List
Even if you shouldn’t mount your TV above your fireplace, it is totally worth mounting a TV on an adjacent wall! That way you can still enjoy your Christmas movie marathon in front of the fireplace. The Christmas season offers some really great movies that are perfect for enjoying while sitting by the fire. Here are some classic favorites:
Home Alone
This is a Christmas favorite for many. The fireplace is known as a home location that brings families together. Notice the scene in this movie where Kevin, left alone by his family, sits in front of his fireplace? The lack of fire seems to give the plethora of Christmas decor surrounding the fireplace a lonely feeling. All you’ll want to do while you watch it is crawl into the TV and light that fire for poor Kevin.
Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone
Even though Harry Potter might not immediately come to mind when thinking about the holidays, Christmas plays a significant role in the setting on many occasions. While you are enjoying a fire in your fireplace, imagine being a wizard that uses floo powder to send letters or even travel through the fireplace Floo Network.
How the Grinch Stole Christmas
This Christmas favorite reminds us that Christmas is about way more than gifts, decorations, and good roast beast. The songs of thanksgiving and joy that come from the Whos down in Whoville help the Grinch’s heart grow three sizes in one day. Notice the fireplaces all waiting for Santa to appear only to have the mean ol Grinch come instead.
The Santa Claus
An oldie, but a goodie from the 90’s, this Christmas favorite stars Tim Allen who finds himself legally obligated to take on the role of Santa Claus after the original fell off his roof. Let’s just say he finds many unique ways to get down even the smallest chimney flues. The best part is, if you love this one, you’re sure to love its two follow-up films, as well!
The Holiday
This romantic comedy follows the lives of two women, Iris and Amanda, who decide to exchange homes for the Christmas holiday to escape their respective relationship troubles. While in their new environments, both women unexpectedly find love. The film explores themes of love, self-discovery, and the magic of unexpected connections during the holiday season.
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