Now Playing: Holiday Movies from around the World!
This holiday season, we gather. The lights are low, the fireplace is lit. Regional expertise is shared, and there’s laughter in the air as visions of successful global healthcare communications dance in our heads.
As we close out another great year, we invite you to get cosy with some of GLOBALHealthPR’s favourite holiday movies from around the world!
Argentina, Paradigma – Todo el Año es Navidad
Every year, we watch the classic Argentine holiday movie Todo el Año es Navidad, or Christmas is the Whole Year Round, a black and white film that premiered in 1960. In the movie, Santa Claus disguises himself among the citizens of Buenos Aires to help teach them about the marvels of Christmas. In our opinion, Todo el Año es Navidad is the best example of a traditional Argentine Christmas movie and a must-see during the holiday season!
Australia, VIVA! Communications – How the Grinch Stole Christmas
Many associate the holiday season with cold winters and snow, but here in Australia the holidays bring us warmer temperatures and we often spend time at the beach instead of huddled under blankets inside! To get in the holiday spirit, we like to watch classic cold winter movies while cooling off indoors—our favourite is the widely beloved How the Grinch Stole Christmas, which plays right into our sense of humour.
Brazil, Tino Comunicação – Love Actually
While we may not have traditional Brazilian holiday movies, we still love to start the season by watching one of our favourite films, Love Actually! We especially enjoy how love and the holiday spirit bring people together from different backgrounds.
Canada, energiPR – Elf
For us in Canada, Elf is the winner! There’s nothing funnier—or more Canadian—than Will Ferrell eating spaghetti with a boatload of maple syrup on top! We love how silly and heart-warming this holiday classic is.
Chile, Strategika – Un Cuento de Navidad
In Chile, one of the most popular films to watch during the holiday season is Un Cuento de Navidad, or as it’s more commonly known outside of Spanish-speaking countries, A Christmas Carol! This timeless classic gets us into the holiday spirit while reminding us of the importance of treasuring the lives of those around us and how we impact them.
Germany, fischerAppelt – Drei Haselnüsse für Aschenbrödel
While Germany may not have a traditional German holiday film, we have a tradition of watching the Czech film Drei Haselnüsse für Aschenbrödel from 1973. Based on the German fairy tale by the Brothers Grimm called Aschenputtel, or Cinderella, the movie has become so popular to watch during the holidays that newspapers and social media sites publish lists about when and where to view the film. We’ve even seen playful competitions between friends and families about who has seen the film the most recently and most often!
Hong Kong, Madison Communications – All’s Well, Ends Well
Here in Hong Kong, when it’s time to celebrate the Chinese New Year, we enjoy watching Stephen Chow’s All’s Well, Ends Well, which we consider one of the few classic movies that involves gambling, Kungfu and family—we love to watch it again and again every year with family and friends!
Nordics (Denmark, Sweden, Norway), Effector Communications – Far til fire i byen
A classic Danish holiday movie we make sure to watch with our loved ones is a film called Far til fire i byen, or Father of Four Going to Town. We especially enjoy singing a song from the movie called “Til julebal i Nisseland,” which is about the wonders and joy of celebrating Christmas!
India, MediaMedic Communications – Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham
In India, while we do not have any specific movies we watch to celebrate the holidays and festivals, we do sing songs from other popular movies that depict and describe various festivities. We particularly enjoy the title song of the film Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham, a film that chronicles the lives and reunion of a family and uses song and dance to celebrate local festivals!
Italy, Connexia – Vacanze di Natale
We celebrate with a popular Italian Christmas movie called Vacanze di Natale, or The Christmas Holidays, in Italy! This movie is special because it marked the first in a series of holiday comedies released around Christmas; it has become a tradition to watch each new film and see the different locations each takes place in!
Mexico, PRP – The Holiday
One of our traditions both in the office and in Mexico is to watch the 2006 romantic comedy The Holiday. While it may be a US-made movie, here in Mexico we love the film’s perfect mix of comedy and holiday spirit!
Poland, Alfa Communications – Listy do M.
In Poland, we enjoy what some have called the Polish Love Actually film, Listy do M., or Letters to Santa. Like the UK blockbuster, Listy do M. is a romantic comedy that follows various inter-connected stories of love and family on Christmas Eve in Warsaw. You can find us watching this fan-favourite holiday movie with our loved ones during every holiday season!
Portugal, Guess What PR – The Sound of Music
It wouldn’t be the holiday season without watching the classic film, The Sound of Music, in Portugal. To us, this movie represents the power of family and love that helps us conquer different challenges in our lives, which is what the holidays are all about!
Romania, MedicalPR – Home Alone
In Romania, most of us would agree that Home Alone is our favourite holiday movie! We love to watch this comedic film with our children, who we look forward to spending the holidays with the most!
Singapore, Spurwing – Home Alone
There may not be many Singapore-produced holiday movies, but that doesn’t stop us from getting in the spirit! Most Singaporean families watch the universally loved movie Home Alone with their children sharing the holiday joy!
Spain, Berbés – La Gran Familia
We enjoy watching La Gran Familia, or The Big Family, during the holiday season in Spain. It’s a very classic and traditional movie originally released in the 1960s that we continue to gather our families in front of the TV to watch—from the youngest to the oldest family members, everyone can enjoy this film’s depiction of a typical Spanish family during Christmastime!
South Africa, F/NE Group – How the Grinch Stole Christmas
Here in South Africa we love to watch How the Grinch Stole Christmas during the holiday season. This well-known film is a family favourite because it is a funny and quirky reminder that the holidays are about more than just gifts and trees—it is about love.
United Kingdom, Aurora – Love Actually
It simply wouldn’t be Christmas in the UK without watching the hit blockbuster Love Actually. What makes this movie so special is that it delves into different aspects of love through ten separate stories involving a wide variety of individuals in the lead up to Christmas. The stories are revealed to be interlinked as the film progresses—it’s truly a viewing necessity to get us in the holiday spirit!
United States, Spectrum Science – Miracle on 34th Street
When it comes to the holiday season, Miracle on 34th Street immediately comes to mind here in the US. This heart-warming redemption story exemplifies the power of spending the holidays with the ones you love and the belief that everything will work out the way it’s meant to. Miracle on 34th Street has been solidified as a traditional American holiday movie since its release in 1947 and continues to air on television multiple times throughout the season, so you can find us in front of the TV surrounded by our loved ones watching this classic!
Whether you’re celebrating at the beach or by the fireplace, we hope that you get in the spirit by watching one of our favourite holiday movies with your loved ones! Happy Holidays, from your friends at GLOBALHealthPR!