National Christmas Movie Marathon Day
National Christmas Movie Marathon Day is celebrated annually on December 23. Get ready to snuggle in your warm blanket with a mug of hot chocolate and your favorite holiday snacks!
Just like we all start listening to Mariah Carey’s ‘All I want for Christmas is you’re in December every year, we all have our favorite Christmas movies that we return to over and over again. It’s such a great way to get festive! Whether it is the mischievous Grinch or the heartwarming stories in ‘Love Actually,’ Christmas movies come packed with warm nostalgia.
Christmas movies have been around for a long time and range in several categories from romance to comedy to horror. The world’s first Christmas movie was a silent short made in 1898, titled ‘Santa Claus.’ Directed by George Albert Smith and just over a minute long, this was the first time Santa Claus graced the screens. The film was about two children who are eagerly waiting for Santa Claus to make his appearance but are ordered to sleep. During the night, Santa slides down the chimney and leaves presents for the children. With jump-cut scenes, double exposure, and superimposition, the short movie was ahead of its time.
A lot of the early Christmas films were short movies. Following a couple of adaptations of Charles Dickens ‘A Christmas Carol,’ and a few war-centered Christmas flicks, ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’ was a breakthrough Christmas movie in 1946.
Since then, Christmas has been the backdrop for many movies; including kids' movies like ‘Gremlins,’ the 1990’s blockbuster ‘Home Alone,’ and ‘Elf.’ The choice of what to watch has expanded and you won’t be short of options on National Christmas Movie Marathon Day. Whether your go-to is Elf, Home Alone, A Muppets Christmas Carol, or all three, this holiday is about putting your feet up and enjoying your favorite Christmas movies back to back.