Where to stream or download your favorite Christmas and holiday movies right now

Ah, remember the days that you'd run to Blockbuster Video Christmas eve to find there was like one copy of Silent Night, Deadly Night left and that was pretty much it? No more! We asked our staff and our Facebook fans for their favorite Christmas and holiday movies, then we tracked down just how you can watch them all over the holiday. Popcorn: Not optional at all. The one thing is while a few are free to stream, you'll have to pay to rent most of them, and some you'll even have to purchase for instant download. But if it's a favorite, hey, at least you'll then have it to watch every year. That's what we did with Elf and we have yet to regret it.

Related: The coolest movies to watch Christmas Day

Note that all $2.99 rentals are for SD formatting; add another buck if you want to watch in HD on your big honkin' family TV. Another tip: I'm using Roku for my streaming video and if you do a universal search, you can click "follow this movie on Roku" and get a notification if and when it becomes available somewhere. A Christmas miracle perhaps? So here are some of our own favorites we love watching with our own kids or even when they're fast asleep. If you want to see Ernest Saves Christmas or Santa Paws 2, Sorry, you're on your own.   Elf Amazon video: Rent for $2.99   Miracle on 34th Street (1994) Amazon Video rent for $2.99, buy for $8.99 Miracle on 34th Street (1947) Amazon Video, rent for $2.99, buy for $8.99   It's a Wonderful Life Amazon Video: buy for $4.99 White Christmas Netflix, free; Amazon Video: rent for $2.99 It's a Wonderful Life/White Christmas double feature Vudu: buy for $9.99       How the Grinch Stole Christmas (the original because ugh, not the remake) Amazon Video buy from $4.99 (packaged with Horton Hears a Who) Frosty the Snowman Amazon Video: $4.99 rental The Nightmare Before Christmas Netflix, free A Charlie Brown's Christmas Amazon Video: buy for $9.99 Santa Claus is Coming to Town Amazon Video: buy for $9.99   A Christmas Story  Amazon Video, Google Play: rent for $2.99 National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation Amazon Video, Google Play: rent for $2.99 Home Alone HBO: Free   Scrooged Amazon Video, Google Play: rent for $2.99 Love, Actually Netflix, free; Amazon video, Google Play: rent for $2.99 A Very Murray Christmas Netflix, free       The Muppets Christmas Carol Amazon Video, rent for $2.99 A Christmas Carol (1999, Patrick Stewart) Amazon Video, buy for $7.99 A Christmas Carol (2012) Google Play: rent for $1.99 A Christmas Carol (1938) Netflix, free It's a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie Amazon Prime, rent for $2.99 Holiday Amazon Video, rent for $2.99 A Norman Rockwell Christmas Story Amazon Prime Video, free Miracle of the Bells Amazon Prime Video, free Jack Frost Amazon Prime Video, free Christmas in Connecticut Amazon Video, rent for $2.99 Holiday Scenics (backgrounds like holiday lights, snowy mountaintops and glowing fireplaces to play in the background of holiday gatherings) Free, Hulu If you have another movie you're desperately searching for, try the site Can I Stream It which can be very helpful.