Kids, they grow up so fast.
One day they're taking their first steps and the next they don't fit into the tiny sneakers.
They took them in.
You blink your eyes and their princess dress is two sizes too small and their dinosaur backpack isn't cool anymore.
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Why are Christmas films so popular?
Thanks for asking.
If you were to turn on your TV right now or open up Netflix, the chances of you stumbling upon a cheesy Christmas movie would be pretty high.
They tend to be full of cliches, cringe-worthy one-liners and predictable plots.
But still, we just can't seem to get enough.
Let's take a moment to delve into the psychology behind Christmas movies and how they got to be so successful.
The first Christmas film.
It was a Brit, actually.
Mormon director George Albert Smith released a short silent drama called Santa Claus in 1898, which showed Santa visiting a house on Christmas Eve.
Moving into the 20th century.
The history of Christmas movies reflects the evolution of Hollywood itself.
In the US, they really became a genre or even tradition in their own right.
The first wave came in the 1990s.
Of course there was the Home Alone series.
The first edition generated a whopping $286 million at the box office.
The year 2000 saw Jim Carrey portray the Grinch, while Love Actually, released three years later, became a masterpiece in the Christmas rom-com genre.
In the last decade or so, Christmas films have really boomed thanks to American TV stations Hallmark and Lifetime going all in on the concept and reaping the rewards.
Not to mention the rise of online streaming.
The number of new Christmas movies produced each year has quadrupled since 2009.
According to Entertainment Weekly, 2022 will see around 170 Christmas films, of which Hallmark and Lifetime account for 66.
The formula for a magical Christmas film is pretty simple, both in terms of script writing and production.
Forbes says that the budget is most often under $2 million.
If they're repetitive, and Watching a Hallmark movie or a Christmas movie in general has become a kind of ritual, and the fact that there are so many new ones each year just reinforces that.
Heck, even without the new ones, we're happy to tune into reruns of the classics year after year.
After all, Christmas comes once a year, and these films can get us in the festive spirit.
They also provide escapism and certainty.
We can't control a lot of what's going on in the world, but we can enjoy the familiar structure and predictable outcome of a Christmas movie.
They're family friendly too, which helps when members of multiple different generations are gathered together.
What are the key ingredients to a good Christmas?
To start with, snow of course, and lots of it.
And just in general, the more holiday themed tropes, the better.
There's almost always a love story at the centre of the plot, which is often an old romance being rekindled.
Another safe bet is that of the Grinch or Scrooge turning gracious through the magic of the season.
Many actors like Lacey Chabert and Lori Loughlin have built up a reputation for appearing in Christmas films.
Seeing a familiar face is bound to get viewers in their comfort zone.
There you have it.
Now you know why Christmas films are so popular.
In under three minutes, we answer your questions and help you understand the true meaning behind the trends, concepts and acronyms that are making headlines.
Listen along and you will really know for sure.
