Growing up, one of my favorite parts of the Christmas season was watching Christmas movies. Without fail, we’d turn on all the classics – Elf, Home Alone, Christmas Vacation – you name it, my family and I watched them once my brother and I eagerly started our Christmas breaks. My mom would tear up at It’s A Wonderful Life, my grandfather would laugh hysterically at Home Alone, and watching these films made the entire Christmas season so magical and fun.
As I have grown up, however, I have not noticed the same spark amongst society that these movies once had. Jam-packed schedules make it hard to get everyone together on the couch to watch them, 24/7 alerts and texts make staying off your phone impossible while the movie’s on, and the films’ stories lack the clever originality they once had. Instead of new ideas, movie companies pump out remakes of the old classics, minus the old classics’ charm, wit, and magic. Where has the pure magic and fun of Christmas movies gone?
First and foremost, I believe that making time for togetherness would be a big help to aid the magic coming back. I feel as though it’s always when I am together with my entire family at the holidays that we reminisce and remember old favorite movies of ours, and a movie marathon begins. I feel the same wonder and fun that I did as a kid when I focus on being present during a movie and leaving my phone elsewhere (though, I acknowledge, this can be very challenging!).
This Christmas season, after the long battle of finals is over and you are back home with your families, I urge you to turn on a Christmas movie – one that really made you smile and feel magic when you were little – and watch it with your friends, siblings, cousins, parents, or grandparents (or all of these people together!). Resist the temptation to Christmas shop online and go and pick out the special gifts in person (and maybe say hi your local mall Santa). Make some hot chocolate and sing along to the Christmas song soundtracks! I believe that if we remember what always made Christmas so special, and what made our favorite movies Christmas classics, the spark of a good Christmas movie can return.