By Katherine Abayev, Staff Writer
It’s that time of year, where holiday lights are being lit, decorated trees grace houses, and everyone clings to hot chocolate and warm cookies. The holiday season brings around an air of nostalgia and comfort for so many people. So while it’s too cold to go outside, many find themselves watching holiday movies.
Junior nursing major Emily Malakov discussed her holiday season film traditions.“Every December I watch every version made of ‘The Grinch.’ I find the character so funny, yet misunderstood. It brings me a lot of comfort to watch these movies every year.”
She elaborated on the tradition and shared her favorite version of the classic film.
“Definitely the Jim Carrey version. The character was so funny in that version and as I get older, I only find it funnier. I usually watch the animated 2018 version with my younger cousins, they really love that one and we have a lot of fun watching it together. I tend to watch the 1966 version on Christmas day. The old animation just brings me so much nostalgia, I love it.”
“How the Grinch stole Christmas” (2000), Dr. Seuss’s “How the Grinch Stole Christmas”, and “The Grinch” (2018) are all very famous and revisited during the holiday season. The 2000 version is notably hilarious and Jim Carrey’s portrayal is considered excellent in bringing the character to life and really rounding out the Grinch’s complexities.
Junior environmental science major Danielle Arabova discussed her favorite holiday films.
“My favorite holiday movie is, without a doubt, ‘Home Alone’. I find it funny and very comforting. We used to watch it in the auditorium at school when it was way too cold to go outside for recess.”
She continued, “This really brings me back to my childhood. I haven’t found a modern day movie that matches those old christmas movies in vibes by a long shot.”
The overwhelming sense of nostalgia and comfort that these holiday movies bring for people is apparent in the way they speak about them and how they watch them. Most recount that they either watch with their whole families, friends, classmates. It is very social at times, so watching these movies alone can still feel as comforting as having all of your loved ones around you. It really brings warmth and light to the darkest time of the year.
Also, many people answered that older movies are their favorite holiday movies. Those older movies are just incredibly classic and remind people of their childhoods. As our generation gets older, it can be scary trying to figure out all of life’s complexities, so falling back to something familiar and safe can make this time of year feel peaceful.
Overall, there are so many holiday movies that LIU students have shared as their favorites from “White Christmas” (1954), “Elf”, “The Nightmare before Christmas”, “Love Actually”, “A Wonderful Life”, and “Christmas Vacation”. These movies are heard all throughout as students’ favorites and it holds a heavy place in their heart since it is the definition of this holiday season for them.
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