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With festive times, comes awaited time off from work and school. And what is the best way to spend free time? Watching movies would be a popular answer.

Gulf News took to its Facebook account to ask readers which movies are their all-time favourite during the holiday season.

While it does not usually snow in the UAE, residents seemed to enjoy films that virtually bring them into a chilly setting.

There were those who named movies typically associated with the holidays like director Chris Columbus’s Home Alone starring Macaulay Culkin and set in December.

While not traditionally associated with Christmas time, the Harry Potter series were another fan favourite for the festive times. With plenty of scenes such as the iconic Great Hall in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets being covered in snow and lit up with ceiling-high trees, the movie has understandably become a holiday favourite.

A more obvious one stated by many readers was The Polar Express from 2004. Based on the night of Christmas Eve, when a boy becomes sceptical of the existence of Santa Claus, the movie features all things wintery and holiday related with scenes of the North Pole bound train making its way through snow-lined settings and Santa Claus arriving in his sleigh pulled by his flying reindeers.

A pick from more recent times was the 2013 animated movie Frozen. Like the name suggests, the film is set in a snowy setting. It features a fearless princess as the protagonist who has a reindeer, and a snowman as sidekicks – it cannot get any more festive than this.

Some who were fans of a heart-warming romantic comedy named Love Actually from 2004. Starring big actors such as Hugh Grant, Liam Neeson and Emma Thompson, the British film depicts eight London couples trying to deal with their relationships in different ways.

These were the top favourites of our readers on our social media channels. Do you agree or have some other favourites to name? Share with us on readers@gulfnews.com