Christmas and Hanukkah are done. Kwanzaa is still being celebrated. Soon enough, 2020 will be completely finished, and a new year will be here. By then, the holiday season of 2020 will be all but a memory. I’m not focusing squarely on the holidays of 2020, by the way; we all know what a catastrophe this anomaly of a year has been. We can look at the holiday seasons of all years at the moment. There are always rumblings of holiday favourites when it comes to film, and they, naturally, all get discussed the months of November and December. I wouldn’t expect them to be talked about any other time of the year, because, well, why would they be?

I’m also not looking at the public discussions of holiday films. Today, I ask something else: is it okay to watch holiday films when it isn’t the holiday season? You don’t have to make a big stink about the holiday film you are watching in March, because there is a chance that you will be looked at funnily. There’s always that Christmas in July ideology that companies celebrate (but that’s partially a means of advertising; some businesses do embrace the wholesomeness of the holiday season in the summer, though). On one hand, these are films that are meant to replicate a certain season, so it makes sense that we share the time they are depicting. On the other hand, what if you needed a cinematic pick-me-up? What if you just wanted to feel good in the ways that only holiday related films can make you feel?

To that I say: watch whatever you want whenever you want. I honestly don’t see the big problem. We do watch winter films in the summer, and summer films in the winter. So, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood was a part of the awards season; must we stop ourselves from watching it early 2020, because it takes place in the other parts of the year (particularly warmer months)? It sounds really stupid if you apply this logic to other scenarios, right? Again, it makes more sense for holiday films because they are calling out the time of year so specifically. This includes bringing up what holiday is being celebrated, the spirit of said holidays, and more. Either way, being a stickler means you’re not being adventurous, and part of being able to live a little is to not confine yourself to the stipulations of others. Why is it more acceptable to watch Halloween during any time of the year, but Elf has to be watched during the Christmas season? What about films that don’t align with their holidays, like My Bloody Valentine (which is likely watched more around Halloween than Valentine’s Day)? Are we going to alert the cinema cops that there is this discrepency as well? What about films that take place around holidays (like Brazil or Eyes Wide Shut) but aren’t enforced as holiday works. Can we watch them for the holidays, and, if so, do we relinquish the rights to now watch said works any other time of year?

At the end of the day, there are so many cinematic elements in holiday films that are shared with works of any kind. It’s a Wonderful Life is a well written drama with discussions about life, with an ethereal presence used to drive its interpersonal thoughts and reflections home. A Miracle on 34th Street is a solid — yet wholesome — courtroom film that uses some of the whimsy of the holidays to change how the genre can be perceived. A Christmas Story almost feels like a satire of the ‘40s holiday classics (it’s certainly self aware). Then we have films like Die Hard that people debate are even holiday films at all. At this point, shouldn’t we accept that films are films, and genres are mainly a means of commercialism meant to sell specific titles to people (even though categorization does help many viewers who do prefer certain genres and styles to others)? In the same way you can eat cake for breakfast or wear the funkiest colours while you work from home, you can break out of cinematic orthodoxy and do whatever you want. It might even be fun. No one’s stopping you, and I hope I’ve made the point clear that it’s hardly the worst idea ever.

Andreas Babiolakis has a Masters degree in Film and Photography Preservation and Collections Management from Ryerson University, as well as a Bachelors degree in Cinema Studies from York University. His favourite times of year are the Criterion Collection flash sales and the annual Toronto International Film Festival.

Can We Enjoy Holiday Films Year Round?