Because there are only a few weeks left in the semester before the start of break, it is the perfect time to get into the holiday mood by indulging in all things festive. The craze of finals may be dampening the spirits of students, but a great way to take a break from studying is to put on a classic Hallmark movie. They may be cheesy and repetitive, but a Hallmark Christmas movie definitely kicks off the holiday season.

Hallmark is releasing 41 new holiday films that will be playing all throughout the month on the Hallmark Channel. The countdown officially started on Oct. 22, but now that it is officially the holiday season, more viewers have begun to tune in. 

Almost all Hallmark holiday movies follow the same plot: girl meets boy, girl and boy fall in love, girl and boy break up, girl and boy make up with a happily ever after every time. Each film has its own quirky storyline, but they are complete with all the traditional elements. The only variation typically comes from the setting, conflict and characters; aside from that, they are pretty much identical. 

There have been trends on TikTok parodying the obvious trends in every Hallmark movie. People will write skits or improv videos that poke fun at the typical plot points, cliché quotes and over the top performances in the movies. 

The selection of films from the previous years have been lacking in representation. The main couple in each movie is typically white and heterosexual, despite a few new releases that showcase more diversity. The films also tend to only focus on Christmas instead of holidays from other cultures.

Recently, the channel has started to include more Hanukkah-centered films as well as more LGBTQ-inclusive films. Hallmark’s diversification still needs work, but they have begun making progress toward inclusivity. 

Other streaming platforms like Netflix have begun making their own spin on the Hallmark holiday rom-com. Whether it be shows or movies, there has been a large increase in Christmas romance films being released in the past few years. There has been a growing popularity in this genre, especially during December. 

Though almost every movie comes from the same cookie-cutter formula, there must be something appealing about a movie with the Hallmark formula that keeps viewers coming back for more. Perhaps the predictability of the plot in each movie makes for an almost comforting and easy watch. It’s something to turn on as entertaining background noise while decorating or cooking for the holidays as it is easy to follow without giving your full attention. 

It appears the Hallmark formula is going to stick around for many more years as their popularity doesn’t seem to be dropping anytime soon. Whether it be on the channel itself or from other production companies, turning on one of the hundreds of holiday rom-coms and curling up with a nice cup of hot cocoa seems like a perfect way to get into the holiday spirit. 

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