Every year during the holidays, families gather around the TV to watch classic Christmas movies. They grab their hot cocoa, make a fire, and turn on their favorite Christmas film: Die Hard. Some families watch Gremlins or they watch Catch Me If You Can, but all families watch Christmas movies during December to put them in the Christmas spirit. But are you even celebrating Christmas by watching Die Hard? The same conversation happens every December: which movies are Christmas movies, and which are movies that happen during Christmas?

     The largest Christmas movie debate is Die Hard, an action movie about a police officer protecting a building his estranged wife works at during a company Christmas party. The movie only started at a Christmas party, no other references to the holiday were made. Die Hard has no Christmas cheer, no Christmas songs, and no one returning home at the end of the movie. Therefore, it can not be classified as a Christmas movie. There are many movies that people watch around the holidays claiming they are festive for the season, like Edward Scissorhands, Harry Potter, While You Were Sleeping, and Batman Returns. These movies are great but don’t belong in the Christmas movie category.

     Films that do belong in the Christmas movie category are Christmas Vacation, Elf, A Christmas Story, and It’s a Wonderful Life. These are just a few of many examples           that are Christmas movies, and they all have something in common; they make you want to celebrate Christmas. A good

Christmas Christmas movie fills you with joy and excitement for all that is to come with the holidays. These movies allow you to be a kid again and believe in the magic of Christmas. If you end a movie wanting to be wrapped up in a blanket opening presents way too early in the morning, then you just watched a Christmas movie.

     This season bundle up on the couch with your family and friends, grab some snacks, and watch a proper Christmas movie. Spend time celebrating and being with people you love. And if you do watch Die Hard or Gremlins, have the decency to not call it a Christmas movie.