Christmas screenings can start in November
Ever since I was a little kid, Christmas time and all the jazz surrounding it have been a major light in my life. My parents — although sometimes begrudgingly — put up with my annoying admiration of early-bird Christmas music listening and movie watching, laughing at my determination to turn on “Elf” the second Halloween was over.
It’s November, meaning it’s starting to get dark at 4 p.m. and end-of-semester crunch time is taking a toll. You should count your blessings if you’re not running a fever or constantly sniffling. Let’s face it; it’s a rather gloomy time of year for most University of Iowa students. Any form of pick-me-up is yearned for.
We all have to get through it somehow, find some way to insert glimmers of hope and happiness into our lives whenever we can. During times like these, I revert back to my roots; what could possibly cheer me up more than a cup of hot chocolate and “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation?”
November is far from too early to watch the films held near and dear to so many hearts. Christmas movies serve as such a strong form of nostalgia and comfort for so many, and no one should be shamed for wanting to feel a holly-jolly type of way for a small amount of time.
Realistically, November is an optical time to begin your Christmas movie watching endeavors — it’s like a December pregame. Setting happiness-hunting aside, the month can be seen as a strategic warm-up for when winter starts to get exciting.
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Don’t be a grinch or a scrooge — allow Christmas movie lovers to do what they need to in order to squeeze a little more whimsy and fun into their everyday lives.
Christmas films should wait their turn
I am all for the holiday season. Don’t let this argument convince you I am a grinch who places rules on how people should spend the holiday. I am a Christmas loving girl who just happens to believe that there is a timeline to the St. Nick celebration.
Everywhere I look, everyone is rushing into the yule tide cheer. The second it struck midnight on Oct. 31, everyone was running full speed at Christmas trees and garland. When I turned on the TV, I saw all the major channels and streaming services were already advertising their holiday classics on full blast. And, that’s just too early.
I love movies. I am a screenwriting major and spend all of my time watching and studying films. I grew up watching “It’s a Wonderful Life” or “The Year Without a Santa Clause” in front of the TV with my parents and siblings. But I did so during December.
If you’re going to tell me there are no good Thanksgiving movies, well first off you’re forgetting the classic of “A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving,” but on the other hand, of course there isn’t. But there is every movie that has come out Thanksgiving week and every other movie released ever. I promise you, there is something new to watch.
November is not the time to dive into Christmas. To me, November is the celebration of fall. It’s the time to watch classics like “Practical Magic” or “Mystic Pizza” (the 1988 version of course). The Christmas classics can wait a few more weeks.
There is a point where the holiday celebration is too early. The time to hang out the tree and string the ornaments is the day after Thanksgiving. So, if you’re tuning into the Hallmark channel before diving into some turkey, you’re getting ahead of yourself. Despite what the critics may say, I can’t enjoy Christmas until it’s the only thing on my to-do list.