T(abel) Reads 34

Friday December 26th, 2025 - Edition 034

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Tracing How Cinema and Christmas Intertwined to Create Lasting Holiday Traditions

TV AND FILM

Christmas movies emerged alongside early cinema, with silent shorts depicting nativity scenes and winter folklore in the early twentieth century. Hollywood solidified the genre in the 1940s with classics like It’s a Wonderful Life, released in 1946, which became a cultural staple through television reruns. The 1980s and 1990s introduced a more comedic and family-focused era. National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation debuted in 1989 and turns thirty-six this year, while Home Alone, released in 1990, celebrates its thirty-fifth anniversary as one of the highest grossing comedies ever. The 2000s expanded the genre further, blending irony and sincerity. Elf premiered in 2003 and marks its twenty-second anniversary, redefining modern holiday humor. Internationally, countries embraced local traditions through festive films rooted in folklore, romance, and faith. Today, Christmas movies span theatrical releases and streaming originals, proving the genre’s enduring ability to reflect changing culture while returning audiences to comfort.

ART AND FASHION

With Christmas arriving and disappearing faster than gifts are unwrapped, we wanted to highlight a few holiday fashion campaigns you may have missed. Tiffany & Co. led the season with its “Love Is a Gift” holiday campaign, starring global ambassador Anya Taylor-Joy. The film centers on moments of warmth and generosity as Tiffany Blue Boxes are exchanged around the world, reinforcing the idea that love itself is the ultimate gift. Shortly after, Burberry released its “‘Twas a Knight Before Christmas” campaign featuring Naomi Campbell, Rosie Huntington Whiteley, and Jennifer Saunders. The short film follows a family gathering for the holidays, capturing playful, fleeting moments that define the season. A recurring knight appears throughout, subtly nodding to Burberry’s heritage and longstanding brand codes. While these two stood out, they were not alone. We have included links to these films and other holiday campaigns that impressed us this year.

Watch More: “Love is a Gift”, “‘Twas a Knight Before Christmas”

MUSIC

Mariah Carey has officially defrosted once again, returning to the Billboard Hot 100 with her perennial classic All I Want for Christmas Is You. The song has now reached number one for the sixth consecutive holiday season, reinforcing Carey’s unique grip on seasonal music culture. Joining her on the charts this year are familiar staples including Rockin Around the Christmas Tree, Last Christmas, and Jingle Bell Rock, underscoring how deeply nostalgia drives December listening habits. In a more Grinch-like development, YouTube announced it will remove its data from Billboard’s chart calculations. The decision follows Billboard’s recent methodology changes that place greater weight on paid streaming while reducing the influence of ad-supported free streams. YouTube’s move is widely viewed as a strategic response that could affect labels, artists, and promotional strategies across platforms. How Billboard recalibrates, and whether YouTube ultimately returns, will shape chart legitimacy and leverage going forward.

SPORTS

The NBA’s relationship with Christmas Day began in 1947, when the league scheduled holiday games to capture fans gathered at home. Over decades, Christmas evolved into one of the NBA’s signature stages, spotlighting marquee stars and rivalries in front of national audiences. In the early 2010s, the league leaned further into the moment with special Christmas jerseys featuring cursive lettering, nickname inspired designs, festive fonts, and bold color palettes rarely seen elsewhere in the season. Those uniforms gave the games a distinct visual identity and quickly became favorites among fans and collectors. Eventually, the NBA returned to standard uniforms, leaving the Christmas jerseys as a nostalgic reminder of a more playful era. A newer holiday wrinkle has emerged with the NFL. For the second consecutive year, multiple Christmas Day games streamed on Netflix, directly competing for viewers. If the NBA wants to reclaim attention, reviving festive uniforms could help again.

DOMESTIC

In December 2025 the U.S. Department of Justice began releasing a partial tranche of Epstein files under the federally mandated Epstein Files Transparency Act, which required disclosure of unclassified documents by December 19. The initial release included thousands of pages of records, photos, interviews and court material, but many files were heavily redacted or removed shortly after posting, including some that mentioned high-profile figures such as Donald Trump and Bill Clinton. Survivors and advocacy groups criticized the partial release, saying it contained “extreme redactions” and was a “fraction of the files,” making it difficult to search or extract meaningful information. Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle condemned the rollout, with Democrats alleging the administration failed to comply with the law and exploring legal action, while some conservative commentators noted mixed reactions and a muted response from certain audiences. The DOJ says release of remaining documents could take weeks due to volume and redaction needs.