Holiday season means one thing in the Campbell household: Christmas movies.

Everyone knows these movies put you in the holiday spirit, but if you watch carefully, they can give you some of the best advice. Here are some tips to make your winter break successful and enjoyable, given to you via movie quotes.

“We elves try to stick to the four main food groups: candy, candy canes, candy corns and syrup.” -Buddy the Elf (Elf, 2003)

If this doesn’t sum up my diet for the entire month of December, I don’t know what does. You don’t often get the excuse to stuff your face with sugar, so take advantage of this one. Eat up, enjoy and worry about the consequences of that horribly poor decision next month or something.

“The Grinch thought of something he hadn’t before. What if Christmas, he thought, doesn’t come from a store. What if Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more?” (How the Grinch Stole Christmas!, 1966)

It’s easy to get caught up in the materialistic side of the holidays. But hey, even the grinchiest of all grinches, the Grinch himself, found a way to see past that. If he can do it, you can too. It took the Grinch stealing the possessions of an entire village to learn this lesson though, hopefully you can find a less constructive way to get the message.

“The best way to spread Christmas Cheer, is singing loud for all to hear.” -Buddy the Elf (Elf, 2003)

Pretty self-explanatory why this quote is a winner. The month of December is the only time when you can go door-to-door to your neighbors singing carols without completely weirding them out; the same activity in any of the other 11 months of the year would cause confusion and some extreme judgement.

“The most enjoying traditions of the season are best enjoyed in the warm embrace of kith and kin.” -Clark Griswold (Christmas Vacation, 1989)

Although this is a pretty serious sounding quote from one of the least serious Christmas movies ever made, it’s a perfect way to wrap up this column (pun intended). Enjoy your holiday break, Vikes. Have fun, stay safe and most importantly, spend time with your loved ones. See you all in 2014!