With only 3 sleeps until the big day, we’re truly in the thick of the Christmas countdown and yet, I must admit, I’m struggling to feel Christmassy. I’ve done all the normal Christmassy things: the presents are wrapped and gathered under the tree, the songs have been blasting and the chocolates have been opened. After a lot of pondering, I worked out where I’ve gone wrong: I’ve barely watched any Christmas films (at the time of writing, I’ve only watched 3, a dire effort considering it’s 22^nd December). This got me thinking about the concept of “feeling Christmassy”; what it really means and how intertwined it is with our annual traditions. Why have films become so engrained within our modern-day Christmas culture? Having given it some thought, my answer is quite simple…

Where does our Christmas spirit come from?

For most people, Christmas and “feeling Christmassy” is all about following traditions, and traditions, by their very nature, are reliant on us repeating the same actions every year. Because Christmas is such a repetitive annual event, we get our “Christmassy” feeling from completing the traditions we’re accustomed to. It makes sense, therefore, that when we miss out any of our usual actions, it doesn’t feel like Christmas to us.

Every person, couple and family have their own Christmas traditions. Navigating newly married life, it’s so interesting to learn first-hand the traditions that my husband and his family have, and see how they differ from my own conceptions of what it means to “do Christmas”. And now we’ve begun creating of our own traditions as a couple which is so special.

Why are we so protective of our Christmas traditions?

Christmas traditions are so unique to families and remain relatively unchanging year-to-year. Because of this, for those of my generation at least, Christmas is still a strong reminder of childhood and simpler times. Christmas celebrations are a great distraction from the stresses of everyday life, the daily to-dos, and chores – even if it’s just for a small amount of time, we can set these things to one side and focus on what’s really important.

At Christmas, to me, nothing else matters except for spending uninterrupted time with family, friends and loved ones with no distractions of work, the news or social media. It’s not just a time for building memories with those you love, but a season for reminiscing and remembering the times spent with those no longer around.

Repeating the same traditions each year brings us closer together; it’s a way of keeping alive the memories of the past and feeling connected to all our loved ones, especially those who are no longer with us. It’s bittersweet; each year, we feel the passage of time, but it’s softened somewhat by the comfort from familiar, treasured habits. It therefore makes sense that we are reluctant to make changes to longstanding traditions.

How do Christmas films fit within this?

We all have those films which are so engrained in our traditions that we can’t go a Christmas without them. No matter how busy we are, we always make time to watch them. Films seem to form an important part of many peoples’ Christmastimes – have you noticed that the same films reappear each year without seeming to become less popular? Don’t you think it’s interesting that we keep rewatching them without getting bored? There are very few non-Christmas films that I have watched as much as Elf or The Santa Clause.

Although it’s true that any Christmas tradition can bring back a lot of memories, watching a film is perhaps the easiest way to do this (and something you can do with loved ones of any age – whether they be 1 or 101). They’re different from other activities such as enjoying Christmas music, which you listen to on the way to and from work, whilst shopping or cleaning the house: a film is a completely immersive experience. The visual, combined with the music, allows us to be transported to another place and time. Although a lot of these films contain themes of magic and Father Christmas, they all ultimately remind us of what really matters – our loved ones and treasuring time together.

Why do we love rewatching the same Christmas films?

The magic of the rewatching is the comfort we feel from knowing what’s coming. It’s so reassuring, like being snuggled in a warm blanket. It’s the happy endings, cliches and over-the-top positivity that we wouldn’t appreciate as much at any other time of year. There’s safety within the predictability of the plot which allows us to fully relax. We love reliving for the memories: these films throw us back into the mindset of childhood, reminding us of the innocent time when we truly believed in the magic of Christmas.

My favourite Christmas films are the Home Alone’s (1 and 2). Watching them takes me back to when life was much simpler – I can remember the first time I watched them with my family when we cried with laughter the whole way through. During Covid times, we virtually watched them together – arranging to sit down and press ‘play’ at the same time, then texting our favourite quotes as the movie went along. It helped us feel connected, even when we were separated by lockdowns and travel restrictions.

Sometimes I wish I could watch the Home Alone’s for the first time again to re-experience the surprises and ingenuity of the pranks, but I must admit that I really love knowing what’s about to happen. I find myself laughing in anticipation of my favourite parts and competing with my sister to see who remembers the most quotes from the movie. Somehow that makes rewatching even funnier and such a special experience.

What about other traditions?

Of course, Christmas isn’t just about the films. Although the origins of Christmas are cemented within religion, it’s important to recognise that for many people nowadays, Christmas has taken on a different meaning, being more-so about the coming together of family. Because the season signifies something different to everyone, traditions can vary vastly family-to-family.

There are tons of fulfilling traditions that people take part in; perhaps you always attend a carol concert or nativity play; visit specific Christmas lights; do arts and crafts.

Some of my favourite traditions include:

• Spending a day (or two) baking with my mum. We ALWAYS make mince pies (pastry from scratch and all), sausage rolls and chocolate orange cheesecake
• Playing lots of board games with my family
• A beach walk on Christmas Eve

I’d love to hear about your Christmas traditions; what do you look forward to the most each year? What helps the most when you’re not feeling Christmassy? If you’re happy to share, please leave a comment below. You never know; it may inspire a fellow reader to try something new!

Looking for Christmas events locally? How about the Mexico Inn’s Festive Thursday event? Read my review here.

Thanks for reading and merry Christmas to you! I hope it’s magical, however you spend it.