What’s your favorite Christmas movie?

This time of year, debates recur not only about which holiday shows are the best, but also if some qualify to be included in the first place. Writer’s often adjust genres to fit various themes and adapt vintage literature to contemporary settings.

Enduring classics like A Christmas Carol, Miracle on 34th Street, and It's a Wonderful Life fit that bill. These dramadies reinforce the message of "God bless us, everyone” and have been revamped into countless versions over the decades. Wonder if Charles Dickens could have dreamed his creation would someday be reimagined as Scrooged or Spirited?

Speaking of Hollywood musicals, White Christmas and Holiday Inn celebrate the season through melody. These wholesome shows add a sprinkle of joy to the genre that features, "music, song, and dance in varying combinations, often intertwined with a romance plot with a happy ending." (source)

Not to be left out, animated shows have a fond place in the hearts of many children (along with their parents and grandparents). Remember A Charlie Brown Christmas, Rudolf, The Grinch, and Frosty the Snowman? If not, they re-run every year. More recent renditions to the annual repertoire include gems like The Polar Express, Klaus, and That Christmas.

And perhaps the comedic genre has produced some of the most indelible stories. The Home Alone franchise, for example, has become iconic with Kevin McCallister fighting off the Wet Bandits with falling irons, swinging paint cans, and scorching blow torches. Could those burglars possibly survive such booby traps? Absolutely not, but suspension of disbelief works for other movies, too. Take National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation and Elf.

Don't forget the romcoms. After all, the Hallmark Channel plays them throughout the year (a.k.a Christmas in July). Some of the memorable ones include The Holiday, Love Actually, and Love Hard.

Finally come the genres that bring the real challenge. Can an action movie be classified as a Christmas show? Die Hard or Red One, anyone? How about a little horror for the season such as Krampus, The Nightmare Before Christmas, or Gremlins? A new addition contributes a zombie holiday tale with no Hollywood ending for Anna and the Apocalypse. The dark comedies can be just as unsettling, like Bad Santa, The Ref, and Violent Night.

While not every genre resonates, the brilliant part about so many options means it’s easy to choose your own adventure. And who knows? Trying on a few different genres could spice up the holiday cheer.