8 Reasons to Unabashedly Watch Hallmark Christmas Movies

The holiday season can be stressful for plenty of people. However, there are a million reasons to love the season, not least of which is that the Hallmark Channel shows Christmas movies 24/7 from October 22 through forever. And by forever, I mean Hallmark plays Christmas movies year-round! 

But from October 22 through the holidays, they’re on all day long, my friend!

Hallmark Movie Fans Unite!

Hallmark takes Buddy the Elf seriously when he says, “It’s just nice to meet another human who shares my affinity for elf culture.” Or Christmas culture in general. 

I know I’m not alone with all this Christmas cheer. Hallmark has been doing this Christmas-around-the-clock thing since “The Shanty Where Santa Clause Lives” premiered. This was a cute black and white from 1933! 

How does this not make you feel joy in your soul? Millions tune in every year, me included.

adults laughing and watching the best hallmark christmas movies8 Reasons to Watch Hallmark Christmas Movies

If you aren’t a Hallmark Christmas Movie Fan, I’ve got eight good reasons you absolutely should tune in: 

1. Tradition.

Christmas is a time of holiday rituals that we count on year after year. They bring people together and allow us to do things that feel predictable in the best way. Hallmark Christmas movies provide a fun, anticipated reason to tune in year after year.

2. Family-friendly.

While some movies have adult topics, all of them are family-friendly. Every member of the family can enjoy the wholesomeness that the Christmas movies have to offer. 

3. Life Lessons.

Every Christmas movie I’ve seen includes a struggle that must be worked through by the main characters. Like any good story, Christmas movies have dilemmas that serve as life lessons for viewers of all ages. 

4. Snacks.

You don’t need permission to have good snacks, but watching a Christmas movie sure gives you a great reason to load up on popcorn and M&Ms (or whatever your snack of choice might be!). So load up and tune in, friend!

5. Dopamine.

Christmas movies are so full of cheer, they offer a steady dose of dopamine direct from your brain’s synapses. Since dopamine is your “feel good” neurotransmitter, and people spend lots of money just trying to get more of this chemical in their system, I highly recommend Hallmark movies as a super-easy, natural chemical fix! 

6. Expectations.

Our expectations are pretty high when it comes to the holiday season, and Christmas movies always deliver, no matter how cheesy. 

7. Wholesome.

In a world filled with fear and anger because of vastly divisive belief systems in our current political climate, there is rarely a theme presented in a Christmas movie that we can’t get behind. Usually, the storyline contains friendship, family, and the search for true love (which, by the way, is always found!). You won’t find tough political topics in these movies. That would definitely kill the dopamine vibe. 

8. Miracles.

Who doesn’t love Christmas miracles? Around the holidays, it’s easy to believe in the giving that abounds in the season of good cheer. There is so much gift giving, it’s easier to believe that miracles really do happen.

New Movies Abound!

Not only does Hallmark Channel play movies around the clock, but they also premier new shows on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. 

Even as I write this article, A Christmas Treasure is playing in the background. Lou is trying to decide if she should move to New York City after Christmas and further her writing career. She is currently at the town’s festival, which, frankly, is a place we all want to visit during the holidays. (Where is this place, by the way?)

See? Wholesome! And how does it end…? I can’t wait to find out!

Get Your Joy Fix

If you aren’t sure what’s playing, download the Hallmark App! Or, check out their fun website where you can read about all the shows and the actors, download featured recipes, the Hallmark Channel Gift Guide, download virtual backgrounds for your work Zoom meetings (I cry, I cry), and so much more. 

Y’all, I love Christmas, and the Hallmark Channel gets me in a festive spirit. For so many, the Hallmark Channel is the place to get your joy fix in this season of stress! 

Jennifer Slingerland Ryan
Jennifer Slingerland Ryan knows a thing or two about kids and families. First, she knows they are joyous, exhilarating, loving and so darn fun. Second, she knows they suck your life dry and make you weep like a baby. By day she’s a psychotherapist; by night she’s a mom and wife. She claims to love therapizing couples, educating parents, reading dystopian fiction and sleeping in her free time (read: she never sleeps). Jennifer is a mom of twins, two 15 year olds. Her youngest is...a joy. Let's just stop there. Most days you can find her in her office seeing clients, doing laundry, loading or unloading the dishwasher, or catching up on the latest episode of Real Housewives of (Insert City Here), Walking Dead or This Is Us. She is a tree-hugging country girl from West Texas who reads, writes, and teaches about human development and families as a hobby and profession. You can read more from Jennifer at her therapy blog, ichoosechange.com