Photo Credit: State Farm, Creative Commons 2.0

The holidays, often dubbed the most wonderful time of the year, is not just about sales and hot chocolate.  For some avid movie-watchers, it is a time to revisit the films they know and love to get into the holiday season.

“I really like the old, classic movies like Frosty the Snowman, Elf, and The Christmas Carol,” sophomore Kendall Smith said.  “I grew up watching them and they help me get into the Christmas spirit.”

Movies like Elf and Frosty the Snowman are well-known by the general people, but sophomore Sophia Reinero has a much larger repertoire.

“Everyone’s heard of Frosty the Snowman,” Reinero said, “but we watch all of the Frosty movies like Frosty Returns (and) Frosty’s Winter Wonderland.”

In fact, during this time of the year, one of Reinero’s favorite movies to watch is Frosty’s Winter Wonderland.

“Frosty has returned from the North Pole and realizes that the kids can’t stay out with him all the time,” Reinero said. “He’s (lonely) so the kids (try to build Frosty a wife but) the first time they try, it doesn’t work and then through an act of love she comes to life. Everyone’s happy and it’s just a really cute one.”

Another one of Reinero’s favorite movies includes ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas.

“It’s a good take on the Night Before Christmas,” Reinero said. “(The message is) that believing is the most powerful thing in the world, and when you take away that belief, that hope, you take away everything. It’s just showing people that you’re never too old to believe and you never have to grow up and think that you’re too old to believe in Santa Claus or those special things in life.”

While underrated, one favorite movie of Reinero is The Little Drummer Boy.

“I love its message,” Reinero said. “It’s this boy who goes through life. His parents were murdered and he has so much strife and he hates people (…) and in the end Jesus provides him the gift of bringing his friend back to life.  It’s a touching story showing that mankind is redeemable even in the darkest of times.”

Junior Karthika Saravanavijayan also has a favorite festive movie that is unknown.

“We always watch (An All Dogs Christmas Carol) when we’re driving on long trips,” Saravanavijayan said. “It’s the same characters from All Dogs go to Heaven and I like that movie.”

Saravanavijayan has a few reasons as to why the movie is unpopular.

“It’s a sequel of a movie that came out in the 80s,” she said. “This movie was made in the 2000s so of course no one’s going to really know about it (…) it is super underrated.”

Though there are many movies that aren’t heard of, many students still enjoy the characteristic movies of this season.

“White Christmas (is one of my favorite movies),” sophomore Gemma Goebel said. “I love the music from it and it’s a really great story.”

Whether classic or covert, watching holiday movies remains a tradition for many.

“It’s just a time for my family to come together during the year and sit and enjoy something that we’ve loved for ages,” Reinero said. “It brings out the true meaning of Christmas, gathering with family and enjoying our time together on this Earth.”