This many splendored season of year’s end is hard to resist. Despite the apathy and lethargy that sucked out our energy throughout the year, it is mysteriously and magically returned. A million lights dispel the darkness filling the air with the sound of music and the ringing of the bells.

Past yesterdays and future tomorrows come rushing in with nostalgia, memories, and the wistful longing of togetherness.

The universality of the Christmas season transcends races and religions. Regardless of the plurality, people of all persuasions reach out to deck the halls and spread the joy.

No wonder they call it “the season to be jolly”.

This merry mood of festivity covers the world with a blanket of excitement and anticipation. Its message of peace and goodwill grows and expands from year to year, aiding us to break away from despair and sorrow.

Regretfully, the message of the birth of Jesus Christ has lazily, gradually, dropped Christ from Christmas, turning to secular themes of Frosty the Snowman, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, not to mention the most recognised character in the world — of course, we mean Santa Claus, not Donald Trump.

Among the many attributes of the holiday season is watching Christmas movies. Already in the grip of the world’s moments of fancy, films lure us even further at year’s end. It is a sense of indulging in all that is pleasurable — eating, drinking, dancing, singing, dressing up and stepping out for the maximum purge, as we ring out the old and ring in the new.

Holiday movies give us profound feelings of togetherness in an effort to grasp treasure moments that all too often may swiftly pass. As a bonus Christmas movies offer appropriate themes of love and friendship, of giving and forgiving, of dancing and romancing, engulfed by the warm glow of humanity’s best.

The magic of holiday movies is surprisingly a strong emotional connection. People create bonds of shared feelings, interests and nostalgic memories. This fuzzy feeling of camaraderie drive consumers to keep going to the movies, the theatre, the concerts or the sport stadiums.

The film industry takes advantage of the traditions and rituals of the special holiday brand.

Filmmakers keep churning those fuzzy wuzzy stories for Christmas on the screen and we continue to enjoy them.

As sad and tragic has this year has been, it is no exception. A silent truce descends upon us at Christmastime — a warm glow of serenity prevails — at least for a brief spell.

No need to wait for 25 December, the season starts with cold December warming us up with the Feast of Saint Nicholas (6 December), launching happy Hollywood’s highlights.

The Hollywood Christmas factory turns out dozens of new movies each year. They know their craft. Year after year they send out heartwarming stories with a sense of comfort and continuity. A constant message of kindness, generosity and love inspire us with magic moments of long, long ago, an irresistible part of the joyous season.

Be they big or small, Christmas movies impart themes that make us feel a little better, going back for more, to capture that moment in time.

While many Christmas movies come and go, a few classics have stood the test of time. Their familiarity have become as inseparable as the traditional Christmas dinner.

A Christmas Carol is the immortal tale of Charles Dickens story first published in 1843 and has since, never left us. First adapted on the screen in 1901, the tale has been produced over 200 times, the last in 2020. Countless adaptations in every medium for over a century, and still new versions appear regularly. The ghost of past, present and future, have caught the imagination of all humanity, with is spirit of redemption. The tender message that all human beings have the opportunity to be kinder to each other is enchanting. Not money but love can make us happy.

It’s A Wonderful Life (1946) is Frank Capra’s story of George Bailey (James Stewart) who mysteriously discovers how the world might have been like had he never been born. Each life is important as we are all inextricably linked to each other. Not a tear is dry when the whole town bursts into song of Auld Lang Syne.

Several favourite movies, starring Hollywood’s greats like Fred Astaire, Bing Crosby, Judy Garland among others in Holiday Inn (1942), Meet Me in St. Louis (1944), and White Christmas, are infectious as they rend their charming song and dance routines amidst a snowy winter wonderland. If such movies lack a profound message, they more than compensate for the music and mirth in a warm and friendly environment.

The 21st century has already provided us with perennial classics with such movies as How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000), in typical Seussian fashion, and Elf (2003) watching regularly for the last two decades.

Best of the relative classics of the new century is Love, Actually (2003), fast becoming the new classic of the new age. Masterfully rendered on the screen, writer/director Richard Curtis not only crafted 10 different stories in one, but they were all funny and sad, simultaneously. The convoluted story delves into different aspects of relationships with a strong message that actually, love is humanity’s universal language.

Capture the essence of tradition on the silver screen and be jolly as you deck your halls with boughs of holly.

“I will honour Christmas in my heart and try to keep it all the year.”

Charles Dickens (1812-1870)             

* A version of this article appears in print in the 19 December, 2024 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly