For some Americans, Holiday movies as as much of a part of the Holiday season as eggnog and family arguments about politics. The most wonderful time of the year also happens to bring out some of Hollywood’s biggest hits on both the big screen and the small screen.

There’s an endless list of classic Holiday movies, from White Christmas and Miracle on 34th street, to Santa Claus Is Coming To Town and Frosty the Snowman, that people of all ages have seen, and enjoyed. Movies like these represent the holiday spirit in film form, and bring about childhood feelings and cheer that people think about when the holiday season arrives. When you think about it, what is it about these movies that makes people watch them every year, over and over again? What truly makes a good Holiday movie?

Well, even when the weather outside is horrible, you can go and watch a holiday movie while simultaneously spilling hot chocolate on yourself. And you won’t even notice the pain from the heat of the drink because holiday movies will absorb it. But that’s besides the point, as anything that will bring you inside from the cold and help you to forget the horrible weather outside will almost immediately improve upon your mood.

A truly amazing holiday movie will help you to remember traditions from your childhood, like watching A Christmas Story, even though no one actually likes it, but you watch it for some reason that no one in the family cares to remember.

The Holidays are all about getting together with your family, as the majority of the rest of the 365 days in the year are spent in civil, minimal, correspondence with your extended family. But for one season, you all decide to set aside who makes the best pies or who voted for who in the last election, and sit together in, possibly feigned, peace. Maybe that’s why family issues create a strong Holiday movie. Consider Elf for instance. A boy named Buddy, or an elf as he technically is, learns that he is a human, and goes to New York to find his father, and after entering the Empire State building, and singing the best impromptu song ever, his father thinks it’s just a Christmas gram and calls for security. When he later brings him to the doctor, and finds out that he is his son, he ultimately wants nothing to do with him. In the end though, his dad chooses family over career, which he had always chosen in the past, and shows that families can be brought together over the smallest things. 

Mr. Malossi claims that he “thinks Elf is the best holiday movie.”

And who can forget about violence? There’s something about throwing Santa off of a roof that seems to fill everyone with joy. Movies like Home Alone are filled with violence to get you into the Christmas spirit. There’s something about watching people beat each other up on the silver screen that makes the Holidays that much more bearable, maybe because putting your eleven year old cousin in a choke hold on Christmas Eve is looked down upon, in most societies, regardless of how annoying the child was being in the first place.

Festive music holds the key to creating a solid holiday movie. From the sweeping, emotional song “Where Are You Christmas?” from Dr Seuss’ How The Grinch Stole Christmas, to “Pennies From Heaven”, an arguably less emotional song, a great holiday movie features music that gets stuck in your head and never leaves. Music is what makes the movie; it’s like a horror movie. Without the scary music in the background, the movie would be nothing, and not at all scary. A holiday movie without songs is just bland, and lacks the substance needed to get you into the holiday spirit. Junior Lanna Delaney stated that “without music, it would just be a spy movie, but with snow.” I mean, even hearing the beginnings of “Jingle Bell Rock” in the middle of July is enough to make everyone smile for a moment, before promptly screeching at the person who decided that it would be fun to play Holiday music in July.

While most people turn on a holiday movie to get into the holiday spirit, and to just enjoy the season, these films also encompass many life lessons that are valuable to both the particular season, and life in general. I mean, you all probably remember ones, like the Code of the Elves, from the movie Elf: Treat every day like Christmas, there’s room for everyone on the nice list, and the best way to spread Christmas cheer is singing loud for all to hear. These three points may have just been a funny moment in the movie, that held a basis for the rest of the film, but it also has become ingrained in my mind, and most likely other people’s as well. During the holiday season, people seem to be generally happier, and more giving, which is how we should treat every day of the entire year, not just one portion of it. It also says how no matter the person, even if the seem horrible, has the potential to be great, and may even be different deep down. The last code, while mentioning singing, does not mean singing in general. If you want to spread cheer of any kind, you should do it with your whole heart.

In the end, embrace the Holiday season, don’t kill your family, eat until you throw up, dance around in some fake snow, sing along to Holiday music at the top of your lungs—if your neighbors don’t call the cops then you’re not being loud enough —  make some magic….and watch some Holiday movies.