There are certain days on the calendar that deserve a little extra attention, and today is one of them. Hallmark’s Countdown to Christmas starts tonight, y’all! 🎄 And if you’ve been around here for a while, you already know I’m not about to act normal about this.

I wait for this all year. I love fall, Halloween, Thanksgiving, and everything that comes with the holiday season, but there’s just something about settling in to watch a brand-new Hallmark Christmas movie that makes me ridiculously happy. Give me a comfy spot, some Christmas lights, and a little holiday romance, and I’m a happy woman.

And no, I do not care if some people think the movies are predictable. Sometimes predictable is exactly what I want. I know there will probably be a charming little town, a Christmas festival, a career-minded woman who needs to slow down, and a handsome fella who somehow manages to make her rethink her entire life before December 25. I’m here for it!

Hallmark Countdown to Christmas Starts Tonight!

tvline.com

This year’s Countdown to Christmas kicks off Friday, October 16, with a whopping 34 new original Christmas movies. That’s ten more than last year, so Hallmark apparently decided we needed even more reasons to abandon our responsibilities and park ourselves in front of the television. Who am I to argue?

Countdown to Christmas 2026

New movies will premiere on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays, which means there’s a whole lot of Christmas waiting for us over the next several weeks.

The first movie, ‘Tis the Season for Setups, premieres tonight at 7 p.m. Central on Hallmark Channel. It stars Amanda Schull, Victor Webster, and Barbara Niven. The story follows a party planner who heads to a ski resort for Christmas and finds herself playing matchmaker for her mother and the lodge owner’s father. Naturally, her own plans for romance get a little complicated along the way.

Hallmark Channel

Honestly, a Christmas ski lodge and a little matchmaking sound like a perfectly good way to kick things off.

A Few New Hallmark Christmas Movies on My Radar

thelist.com

Holiday Touchdown: A Bears Love Story

Football and Christmas? Now we’re talking!

The latest installment in Hallmark’s Holiday Touchdown movies brings the holiday romance to Chicago Bears territory. Lyndsy Fonseca and Robert Buckley star in this year’s story, which premieres Saturday, October 17.

The movie follows a freelance reporter who returns to Chicago hoping to spend time with family but winds up chasing a story involving a devoted Bears fan. She might know her way around a newsroom, but football isn’t exactly her specialty. I can already see where this one is headed, and I’m not complaining one bit.

Countdown to Christmas 2026

hallmarkchannel.com

Holiday Ever After: A Disney World Wish Come True

Y’all, they had me at Disney World!

Lacey Chabert and Travis Van Winkle star in this Christmas romance set at Walt Disney World Resort. Lindsey Chabert’s character is planning a family Christmas vacation when she discovers that her hotel neighbor is a disastrous first date she’d probably rather forget.

Of course, being stuck next door to somebody over the holidays leaves plenty of room for a change of heart. This one premieres November 28, and I’m especially curious to see all the Christmas decorations at Disney World. That place knows how to do the holidays!

Countdown to Christmas 2026

wnypapers.com

A Grand Biltmore Christmas

Remember A Biltmore Christmas from 2023? Hallmark is taking us back to that magical setting with A Grand Biltmore Christmas, arriving December 5.

This time, the story involves a woman from 1895 who finds herself transported to the present after an encounter involving a mysterious hourglass at Biltmore House. Holland Roden, Niall Matter, Andie MacDowell, and Jonathan Frakes are among the stars.

Time travel, a gorgeous historic estate, and Christmas? This one sounds right up my alley. I love a Christmas movie with a little something extra to the storyline, and I’m looking forward to seeing how they handle this one.

Countdown to Christmas 2026

My Old Hallmark Favorites Will Always Have a Place

As excited as I am about the new movies, let’s be honest. Sometimes I want to revisit the ones I already know and love. There are a few Hallmark Christmas movies that have earned a permanent spot on my holiday watchlist, and I’m not about to leave them behind just because there’s something new on the schedule.

try.frndlytv.com

Haul Out the Holly

Oh, Haul Out the Holly. This one is just plain fun!

Lacey Chabert and Wes Brown lead the cast, with Melissa Peterman, Stephen Tobolowsky, and Ellen Travolta adding to the neighborhood shenanigans. Emily gets pulled into the Christmas festivities on Evergreen Lane, where the neighbors take their holiday traditions VERY seriously.

And when I say seriously, I mean these folks could probably organize a military operation with the way they handle Christmas decorations.

I love the over-the-top neighborhood antics, the decorations, and the fact that this movie doesn’t take itself too seriously. It’s one of those movies I can happily watch again, even when I already know what’s coming. And if you haven’t watched Haul Out the Holly: Lit Up, the sequel brings the gang back for another round of Evergreen Lane Christmas chaos.

Hallmark Channel

tvinsider.com

The Christmas House

The Christmas House is another one that holds a special place on my Christmas movie list.

Starring Robert Buckley, Jonathan Bennett, Treat Williams, and Sharon Lawrence, this movie brings a family back together as they work to recreate their elaborate Christmas house tradition. Along the way, the family faces personal changes and some big moments that remind them what really matters.

What I appreciate about this one is that it gives us more than just a romantic storyline. It’s about family, old traditions, and the way Christmas can bring people together even when life doesn’t go exactly as planned.

And then there’s The Christmas House 2: Deck Those Halls, which brings back that family Christmas spirit with a little friendly decorating competition thrown into the mix. I love seeing familiar characters return, and this is a pair of movies I can easily revisit during the season.

Hallmark Family

Let the Christmas Movie Marathons Begin

The thing I love most about this time of year is having something to look forward to. The days get a little shorter, the holiday decorations start making their way out of storage, and suddenly it’s perfectly acceptable to watch Christmas movies before Thanksgiving.

Okay, let’s be real. I’ve never needed anybody’s permission to watch a Christmas movie early.

I’m ready for the new stories, the familiar faces, the small-town Christmas settings, and all those wonderfully predictable endings. I’m also ready to discover which new movies will become the ones I look forward to watching again next year.

Will every movie be a winner? Probably not. There are always a few that don’t quite hit the mark for me. But that’s part of the fun, too. I’ll be watching, forming opinions, and deciding which ones deserve a spot on my annual rewatch list.

So, if you’re also a Hallmark Christmas movie fan, consider this your official reminder to get your snacks ready and check the schedule. We’re kicking things off tonight, and Christmas movie season is officially underway!

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got a date with my television. Don’t bother me unless it’s important. And if you tell me it’s too early for Christmas movies, well, that’s a you problem. 😂🎄

Happy Countdown to Christmas, y’all!

Lisa Crow contributed to this article. She is a true crime junkie and lifestyle blogger based in Waco, Texas. Lisa is the Head of Content at Gigi’s Ramblings and Southern Bred True Crime Junkie. She spends her free time traveling when she can and making memories with her large family which consists of six children and sixteen grandchildren.

Every year on June 19, Texans gather for cookouts, music, parades, family reunions, and community celebrations. But Juneteenth did not begin as a festival. It began with a delayed announcement, a crowded Texas port city, and a moment that changed thousands of lives forever.

The story of Juneteenth starts in Galveston, but it quickly spread inland across Texas, where Black communities turned freedom into tradition and remembrance into celebration. In Central Texas, especially, Juneteenth became more than a holiday. It became a yearly declaration that freedom deserved to be seen, honored, and passed down.

Why Freedom Came Late To Texas

When President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863, it declared enslaved people in Confederate states to be free. However, freedom on paper and freedom in practice were not the same thing.

Texas sat far from most Union military control during the Civil War. Because there were fewer federal troops present to enforce emancipation, slavery continued across much of the state. In fact, Texas became a place where some enslavers relocated during the war because they believed it would remain insulated from federal action.

By spring 1865, the Civil War was effectively ending elsewhere, but in Texas, daily life remained largely unchanged for many enslaved people.

That finally changed in June.

Check Out My Latest Book: Free on the Brazos

June 19, 1865: The Day Everything Changed In Galveston

On June 19, 1865, Union Major General Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston with federal troops and issued General Order No. 3. The order announced that all enslaved people in Texas were free and stated there would now be an “absolute equality of personal rights.”

For an estimated 250,000 enslaved Texans, the announcement came more than two years after emancipation had officially been declared.

History often compresses moments into neat stories, but the reality was more complicated.

Some people heard the news immediately and celebrated. Others learned days or weeks later as word spread across farms, plantations, churches, and towns. In certain places, enslavers delayed sharing the information or tried to maintain control as long as possible. Still, the meaning could not be undone.

People left plantations to search for family members. Some traveled north. Others simply walked away because movement itself became an act of freedom. Churches filled with prayer, songs, and gatherings that marked the beginning of a new chapter.

Although Galveston was the location of the announcement, the celebration that became Juneteenth would take shape elsewhere.

The First Juneteenth Celebrations Began To Take Form

One year later, Black Texans organized commemorations of June 19, 1865.

Early celebrations were sometimes called Jubilee Day or Emancipation Day. They included prayer services, processions, music, speeches, community meals, and gatherings centered around both joy and remembrance. Many participants wore their finest clothing because for generations enslaved people had not been allowed to dress freely or publicly celebrate themselves.

Recent historical research uncovered evidence that one of the earliest large public Juneteenth celebrations happened in Houston in 1866. Thousands reportedly joined a parade featuring music, patriotic symbols, banners, and a public celebration of newly claimed citizenship and freedom.

Those gatherings created a blueprint that spread across Texas.

How Juneteenth Took Root In Central Texas

As freed Black Texans built communities across the state, Juneteenth became deeply rooted in Central Texas.

Cities and towns throughout the region began holding annual celebrations that blended faith, family, education, and community pride. Churches often became the center of events because they served as gathering places, organizing hubs, and safe spaces during Reconstruction and afterward.

In places including Waco, Austin, Temple, Belton, and surrounding communities, Juneteenth celebrations evolved into annual traditions that included picnics, prayer services, music performances, baseball games, educational programs, and family reunions.

These events carried even more meaning during segregation.

Because Black Texans were often excluded from public spaces, communities created their own places to gather and celebrate. Across Texas, land was purchased specifically for emancipation celebrations and community events. Those traditions helped preserve the holiday through decades when it received little official recognition.

Central Texas celebrations became acts of memory as much as celebration. Families returned year after year, children learned stories from elders, and Juneteenth remained alive through the community long before national recognition arrived.

More Than A Holiday, A Texas Story

Today, Juneteenth is recognized across the United States and became a federal holiday in 2021, but its roots remain unmistakably Texan.

What began with the arrival of Union troops in Galveston became something larger than a single historical event.

Juneteenth endured because generations of Black Texans chose not to let the story disappear. They turned delayed freedom into an annual remembrance. They gathered in churches, parks, neighborhoods, and town squares and made sure each generation knew that June 19 was not simply the end of something.

It was the beginning of something entirely new.

And in Central Texas, that tradition still carries forward today.

Lisa Crow contributed to this article. She is a true crime junkie and lifestyle blogger based in Waco, Texas. Lisa is the Head of Content at Gigi’s Ramblings and Southern Bred True Crime Junkie. She spends her free time traveling when she can and making memories with her large family which consists of six children and sixteen grandchildren.

This Easter looked a little different than most. Instead of a full house, loud laughter, and a packed schedule, the day unfolded slowly and quietly at home. Most of the kids had a lot going on in their personal lives, and a couple of them had to work, so everyone ended up doing their own thing this year. It was not the big family gathering we usually have, but that is just how life goes sometimes.

And honestly, it was okay.

Holidays do not always have to be loud to be meaningful. There will be more Easter Sundays, more backyard get-togethers, more crowded kitchens, and more memories made. God willing, we will all be around the table together again soon.

Starting the Day Before Sunrise

I woke up before dawn, and the world already felt alive. The birds were chirping, the air was calm, and everything felt peaceful. There is something special about those early morning moments, especially on a day like Easter. It felt like a quiet reminder to slow down and be thankful.

Sometimes the stillness says more than the noise ever could.

It was one of those mornings where you just sit with your thoughts, take a deep breath, and appreciate the simple things. God is good, and that peaceful start to the day was a blessing all by itself.

Related: Family Resorts for Egg-cellent Easter Escapes

A Non-Traditional Easter Meal

This year, we skipped the ham and went in a completely different direction. Easter fajitas were on the menu, and they did not disappoint. Sizzling meat, warm tortillas, and all the fixings made for a laid-back, easy meal that everyone could enjoy whenever they stopped by.

Honestly, it might become a tradition. There is something about fajitas that just feels relaxed and comfortable, which matched the whole vibe of the day.

Of course, some things never change. Deviled eggs still made an appearance because it just would not feel like Easter without them. And for dessert, I made homemade banana pudding. That sweet, creamy classic never lasts long around here.

Between the fajitas, deviled eggs, and banana pudding, it ended up being the perfect mix of casual and comforting.

Try These: Easter Bunny Burps Wax Melts

A Slow and Simple Afternoon

The rest of the day stayed just as easygoing. We watched some baseball, flipped through a few religious documentaries, and just enjoyed being home. No rushing around, no tight schedule, no stress. Just a quiet day doing whatever felt right in the moment.

Sometimes those slower holidays end up being the ones you remember most. There was time to think, time to relax, and time to appreciate the meaning of the day without distractions.

Finding the Good in a Different Kind of Holiday

Even though this Easter looked different, it was still a good day. Not every holiday has to be big to be meaningful. Sometimes it is the quiet ones that leave the biggest impact.

Life changes. Schedules get busy. Kids grow up and have their own responsibilities. But family is still family, whether everyone is in the same room or scattered across town doing their own thing.

There will be more holidays, more meals, and more memories ahead. This one just happened to be slower, quieter, and filled with simple blessings.

And in its own way, it was exactly what it needed to be.

Lisa Crow contributed to this article. She is a true crime junkie and lifestyle blogger based in Waco, Texas. Lisa is the Head of Content at Gigi’s Ramblings and Southern Bred True Crime Junkie. She spends her free time traveling when she can and making memories with her large family which consists of six children and sixteen grandchildren.