In 2014, John Koenig, author of The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows, coined the term “anemoia,” meaning, “nostalgia for a time you’ve never known.” The idea of people feeling wistful for a period they have never lived during may seem strange, especially if you’ve never experienced it, but it also speaks volumes about how connected people feel—and are—to the past. It is easy to forget that the world we live in is a product of that past, built up and up and up, and historic sites are tangible remnants of that past.

In one of the movies listed below, Christmas Time is Here, a real estate agent is torn between whether she should sell the inn her family has run for years (which she strongly associates with her late mother). The inn therefore wields a kind of power over her; she feels compelled to protect it. In this way, nostalgia acts as a quasi-defense mechanism for historic sites, a force that can protect them from crumbling away. Some may dismiss the holiday movies below as ‘tropey’ or ‘predictable,’ but maybe it’s more interesting to think of them as explorative studies into the many ways nostalgia can inspire historic preservation.

After all, underneath the heavily ornamented wreaths and cookies, these are stories about preservation. The theater in Sister Swap: A Hometown Holiday is based, for instance, on a real site in Franklin, Tennessee. In The Holiday Fix Up, designer Coop lets his preservationist flag fly when he is irritated by his co-designer dismissing an antique piece in favor of a new one and snaps, “There’s something special about holding on to something from the past.”

So, if you like your preservation stories dressed in holiday cheer and served with a generous portion of romance, please dive into our list below. And for more holiday movies that feature history and preservation, check out our guide from last year.

1In The Holiday Fix Up (Lifetime), two designers—Sam and Coop, who were previously engaged—team up to renovate the Bell Harbor Inn, a beloved site in their hometown. However, there’s a twist: Sam is a stalwart believer in sourcing new materials for the renovation, while Coop believes in recycling and repurposing existing materials. Consequently, the two designers navigate much tension as their relationship history and opposing schools of thought clash throughout the renovation, even while they are united in their desire to repair this community site.

2In The Gingerbread Miracle (Hallmark), attorney Maya is determined to find the right buyer for a beloved Mexican bakery, the Casillas Panadería, after the owner decides to sell (enter the owner’s nephew and Maya’s old childhood friend, Alejandro Casilla). This movie shares Mexican holiday traditions and explores how memories—both tangible and intangible—are essential when trying to understand the past.

3Nia is a successful small-town realtor who is reluctantly supporting her father in selling their family’s resort in Christmas Time is Here (GAC Family). When she takes on a new client, Julian, who is intent on purchasing a resort property before Christmas, she becomes increasingly concerned that he is interested in buying and commercializing her family’s resort. As Nia grapples with her own conflicting feelings about losing her connection to the resort, Julian begins concocting a plan himself. One of my favorite movies on this list, this story explores how grief can influence our decisions and desires by acting as a source of inspiration.

4In A Holiday in Harlem (Hallmark), Jazmin Carter comes home to celebrate Christmas in the neighborhood where she grew up. When she is unexpectedly pulled into planning the neighborhood holiday block party, she is reminded of the importance of community and tradition, but with an eye to the future. Like The Gingerbread Miracle, place plays a key part in this narrative, with Jazmin identifying that her own personal experiences contribute to the value she places on this neighborhood.

6A designer and a new homeowner team up to renovate a landmark ranch home in Montana before Christmas Eve in A Christmas Miracle for Daisy (GAC Family). The twist: the homeowner and designer were previously engaged before splitting up in order to focus on their careers. While engaged, they had spent time in Marietta, Montana (where the movie is set), and felt it to be a perfect small town. Now, years later, they both find themselves having returned to Marietta of their own accord. This movie underlines the power of place, and how people can feel chemistry with a place they aren’t from (so much so that they decide to rebuild their lives there).