It’s that time of year again, folks! The time of year where we decorate our trees, bake cookies, exchange gifts, and get cozy while we break out all the holiday classics we know and love. However, while putting on anything from Rudolph to Home Alone is always fun, I’d like to bring attention to a few wildcards. For instance, I’ll bet you wouldn’t think Star Wars or Harry Potter would fit this category, would you? Well, I wouldn’t think so either at first, but you’d be surprised at the connections. Admittedly, though, all of these movies may have little to do with Christmas (if at all), but who says we can’t take a unique spin on the traditions this year?
5. Narnia: The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe
This film adaptation of C. S. Lewis’ iconic book series only shows how fantastic adventures and strange new worlds can appear in the most unlikely of places. The story follows a group of children who go out to live with a professor in the countryside during WWII, during which they find an old wardrobe that leads into the magical world of Narnia. After encountering the ruler of this land (a talking lion named Aslan) and discovering their prophesied destiny, the children assist in a war against the White Witch to decide the fate of Narnia.
With a premise like that, it sounds more like a fantasy adventure film rather than a holiday classic. However, there are elements that would indicate otherwise. The most obvious one would be the White Witch, or more specifically, her ability to freeze anyone or anything in their tracks. The icy statues and the snowy weather she inflicts upon Narnia compliment the Christmas season, and she even rides around on a sleigh pulled by reindeer and later polar bears. She’s not the only one riding a sleigh, though, as the children later encounter an old man bearing gifts for them. Sure, the presents are mainly weapons or tools to use in war, but they treat the encounter as if the guy was Santa Clause himself; and Lucy even squealed at the idea that this reminded her of Christmas.
Plus, as a bonus, this movie is confirmed to be based on the life of Jesus Christ. While it doesn’t revolve around His birth, it does go off of His death and resurrection. This is shown in the scene when Aslan willingly surrenders himself to the White Witch and allows her and her minions to humiliate and kill him, only for him to return back to life later and win the war against her. In the Bible, Jesus also surrendered Himself to human authority so He could be humiliated and killed the same way, only to return from the grave and save us all.
Whether the movie connects to Christmas on a physical or spiritual level, there’s still something for everyone in the audience.
4. Iron Man 3
The first movie in Phase 2 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, everyone’s least favorite story, but still an all-around fitting watch for the holidays. Roughly a year after the first Avengers movie, Tony Stark (Iron Man) is still reeling from his near-death experience fighting against an alien invasion in New York City with the rest of the Avengers. When his PTSD causes him to act rashly against a terrorist, he’s under attack and on the run, with no labs or resources of any kind. Nonetheless, to save his loved ones and prevent a nationwide disaster, he must rise up to the challenge and use his wit and will to succeed.
The thing about this struggle, though, is that it mainly takes place around Christmastime. The lights, decorations, and especially the festive vibes from the beginning of the movie compliment the setting and would make you forget this is an MCU film if it weren’t for Tony’s house blowing up later. Aside from that, the town where Tony meets Harley also adds to the holiday atmosphere, though not in any big way. Instead, the small size of the town and the age of its buildings convey a sense of soothing authenticity, almost like a cozy holiday vacation spot. Further, while Tony fights to protect the world, he’s mainly fighting to protect the greatest gifts he has: his loved ones. He’ll never easily admit how much he cares for his friends, not even for Ms. Pepper Potts (his girlfriend), but nothing under the Christmas tree could ever replace the relationships he’s built over the years. After all, his dad did once tell him “no amount of money ever bought a second of time.”
As a nice finale, we even get what could be considered a New Years’ celebration. After the final battle, to show his love and dedication to his relationship with Pepper, Tony sets all of his Iron Man suits to explode. Just like a bunch of fireworks signaling the beginning of a new era, the exploding suits also symbolize a new age for Tony and his character.
3. All of the Harry Potter Movies
A movie line as famous and iconic as Harry Potter needs no introduction, but the character is still a great example of not letting your circumstances define you. After all, Harry’s parents were killed by an evil wizard when he was only a baby, raised and abused by relatives who treated him like a slave, and relentlessly pursued by dark forces after going to Hogwarts. However, Harry attended school all the same, found a true family in the friends he made, and grew in power until he could finally defeat the wizard who killed his parents.
Along the way to this celebrated triumph, Harry has thankfully found time to settle down and enjoy the holidays. In every movie up until both parts of The Deathly Hallows, there has been at least one Christmas scene with Harry mainly celebrating with the Weasley family or at least his closest friends. Seeing the main characters all snug in wooly sweaters or pajamas, gathered around a dining table ready to eat, or just enjoying each others’ company is enough to warm anyone’s heart. In addition, in some scenes such as the Yule Ball in Goblet of Fire, we not only get to see beautiful decorations adorn the castle, but we get to see everyone dressed up as if going to a massive fancy Christmas party. The cozy sweaters and fireplaces are nice, but this allows us to see another side of Christmas that we tend to overlook but is still festive all the same. Plus, the cozy setting of the Weasley house or the Hogwarts castle, along with the primarily darkened colors of the overall movie settings, add a soothing tone to invite viewers to lower their guard.
After watching Harry being constantly attacked and dealing with the pressures of his responsibilities, it’s moving to see Harry find happiness in the dark times he faces.
2. Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back
Imagine living your life and minding your own business, but then suddenly thrust into a war and not only finding out your dad is evil, but you also have to fight him. That, in a nutshell, summarizes a good chunk of the original Star Wars trilogy. After narrowly escaping the Empire in their base on Hoth, the main cast splits up: Luke goes off to train with the diminutive Master Yoda, while Han and Leia are constantly on the run with the Empire at their heels. When his friends eventually fall into their hands, Luke leaves his training to save them, only to be critically injured by Darth Vader and discovering the heartbreaking truth that he’s Luke’s dad. The story leaves off with Han frozen in carbonite, and an uncertain future ahead.
Unlike the previous entries on this list, there aren’t any elements or moments that explicitly point to the Christmas season. However, there is one thing that’s good enough of an excuse—I mean, reason—to register it as a Christmas movie: and that’s the previously mentioned planet of Hoth. Hoth is absolutely covered in snow, ice, and tundras as far as the eye can see. What better way to invoke feelings of the Christmas spirit than reminiscing about the snowy weather that usually accompanies it? Plus, the planet even has its own abominable snowman in the wampa that kidnaps Luke. However, if that wasn’t good enough of a reason, there is the fact that this story has a little, green elf in it. While Master Yoda isn’t a true elf by definition, he basically fits the basic characteristics of one. Aside from the small size of an elf, Yoda helps Luke learn about the Force and guides him just like an elf would always help Santa Clause. Further, elves are generally magical creatures, and Yoda already looks like one but he also uses the Force almost like “magic.”
If nothing else, just use the snow planet as your defense and see how seriously your loved ones take it.
1. Die Hard
Ah, yes. The one movie that definitely doesn’t sound like a Christmas movie, but half of humanity would zealously defend it as such. The story starts simply enough with a policeman named John McClane, who is on his way to attend a Christmas party with his ex-wife and their children at her workplace. The last thing anyone in that situation would expect to happen would be fighting a group of armed and dangerous men holding your family at gunpoint, but that’s unfortunately the case with McClane. In spite of the insane odds stacked against him, in spite of the gut-wrenching injuries he receives, McClane claws his way through the terrorists one by one until his family is finally safe again.
Literally the only thing linking this movie to Christmas is the fact that it takes place around the holiday. Unlike Iron Man 3, though, it doesn’t have a whole lot of elements that accompany the Christmas aesthetic. However, one could argue that it still portrays one of the basic themes of the Yuletide season: family. John divorced his wife, so he had no legal obligation to go in and save her. Plus, he was only one man against essentially an army, and in a delicate situation no less. He could’ve waited for backup, or could’ve sat out of the whole situation and let higher-ups like the FBI handle the job and hope for the best. Instead, because of his love and devotion to his family and duty towards the other innocents in the building, he walks through glass and takes every bloody beating just to make sure everyone makes it out alive. It may be a bit of an extreme way to convey the theme, but still a touching display of love and duty all the same.
Although, if I’m being honest, I’m still wondering to this day how the guy even survived in that movie with all the crap he went through.
Conclusion
I don’t blame anyone if they don’t agree these are Christmas movies, but it would still be funny to make these cases to your loved ones and see how they respond. If nothing else, it gives you a good enough reason to watch the movies yourself and enjoy the holiday in your own way. And while this article was not meant to be taken seriously, I hope it helps inspires us to look for the little things that help make life enjoyable in our own unique ways.
