COMFORT OF CLASSICS

Why do we watch the same films every Christmas? Let's find out

- Chandreyi Bandyopadhyay

Come December, as fairy lights are untangled and batches of cookies find their way into the oven, there is one ritual that definitively announces the arrival of Christmas—pressing play on a familiar holiday film.

It might be Home Alone, with Kevin's ingenious traps and the comforting chaos of family reunions, or It's a Wonderful Life, whose gentle reminder that every life leaves a mark—feels as profound today as it did in 1946.

Bengaluru’s Thara Nandikkara usually ends up watching the same Christmas movies every year—The Holiday, Home Alone, It's a Wonderful Life, The Polar Express, etc. “I think it’s because they feel familiar and comforting. I already know what is coming, and that’s kind of the point. There are so many new Christmas movies on OTT now, but these older ones just have more warmth. They don't feel rushed. Watching them feels comforting, just like Christmas,” she says.

The enduring charm of these classics lies in their emotional simplicity. Miracle on 34th Street taps into the magic of belief, asking viewers—young and old alike—whether they are willing to leave room for wonder. A Christmas Carol, in its many cinematic avatars, continues to resonate because its promise of redemption feels timeless, especially at the close of a long year. Even the irreverent humour of