Movies & Myths: Holiday Edition
'Tis the season to binge on movies... falala
This year, I spent more than a few hours binging holiday movies. To be honest, the Christmas holiday definitely isn’t my favorite one and there’s about a thousand other things I’d rather be doing then holiday festivities. Halloween is more my jam. But… this year, I have to admit that the holiday movies hit differently.
Maybe it’s because I can’t watch or read stories any longer without wondering about the myths and archetypes that inspired it. Or maybe it’s because of the year we’ve had. I’ve never had a “craving” for comfort Christmas movies like I did this year, so that says something.
After gorging on all the movies1 though, I sat down and wondered:
“What are the myths that shaped these beloved films? What can that teach me, and therefore, you?”
Thus, an entire snow-filled evening of myth-mapping holiday films. But thats not all… (did you read that in a sleazy salesman voice as I did writing it?)
I’ve also made a step-by-step guide on how to myth-map holiday films so YOU can break down your own favorite films.
Download the free PDF at the end!
How to Myth-Map a Holiday Movie
1. Find the Archetypal Energy
Holiday movies often revolve around characters who embody tradition or challenge it. These archetypal energies—such as the Healer bringing warmth, or the Shadow confronting cynicism—reflect the values of the season. Recognizing these energies helps us see characters as universal figures, connecting us to larger patterns of human experience and the emotional weight they carry.
In Home Alone, Kevin McCallister channels the Trickster and the Warrior, using cleverness to defend his home and navigate his fears.
The Grinch Who Stole Christmas introduces the Grinch as the Shadow and Trickster, while Cindy Lou Who embodies the Innocent and the Healer, offering light to the Grinch’s darkness.
In Elf, Buddy represents the Fool, spreading joy and wonder, while Walter, his father, holds the Shadow’s cynicism and rigidity.
In The Family Stone, Sybil embodies the archetype of the Wise Matriarch, guiding her family with love and honesty, while Meredith represents the Outsider struggling to find her place among entrenched familial dynamics.
Prompt: What archetypal energies are most present in the story? How do they reflect the cultural and emotional values of the holiday season?
2. Trace the Mythic Tensions
Stories thrive on the friction between opposites, such as holiday tradition versus changing the “status quo” or belief versus skepticism. These tensions drive the emotional stakes, reflecting the season’s themes of hope, reconciliation, and renewal. Exploring these opposites reveals the characters’ growth and illuminates the universal struggles embedded in the story.
Die Hard explores the tension between John McClane’s love for his family and his role as a lone savior. His physical battles mirror his internal struggle to reconcile connection with independence.
In The Polar Express, belief clashes with skepticism, reflecting the journey from childhood wonder to adult doubt.
A Christmas Carol shows Ebenezer Scrooge torn between greed and compassion, with his transformation serving as an archetypal battle for the soul.
In The Holiday, Amanda and Iris navigate the tension between independence and vulnerability, discovering that love requires both courage and openness.
Prompt: How do the tensions in the story mirror the emotional stakes of the holiday season?
3. Unearth the Symbols
Symbols and rituals in holiday stories ground the myths in tradition and cultural significance. Mistletoe, yuletide, caroling, glowing noses — these symbols act as touchstones for transformation and connection, evoking emotions tied to universal themes and personal memories.
In It’s a Wonderful Life, the act of ringing a bell symbolizes transformation and grace.
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer uses Rudolph’s glowing nose as a symbol of individuality and the struggle for self-acceptance.
The Nightmare Before Christmas blends Christmas and Halloween symbols to explore Jack Skellington’s longing for identity and joy.
In Jingle All the Way, the Turbo Man action figure becomes a symbol of dueling energies: love and connection versus consumerism and cultural pressure.
Prompt: What symbols stand out, and how do they reflect holiday traditions or universal struggles?
4. Explore Collective and Personal Truths
Holiday movies tap into shared experiences while also resonating with personal truths. This duality makes them particularly impactful, as they connect us to universal archetypes while simultaneously reflecting our individual experiences. Collective truths offer a sense of belonging to something greater, while personal truths invite us to explore our unique stories and emotions within the framework of the narrative.
Love Actually interweaves truths of love, loss, and connection, offering glimpses of vulnerability and belonging.
In Bad Santa, the story explores the collective truth of societal disillusionment while tapping into personal truths about loneliness and the longing for connection.
Miracle on 34th Street merges the collective truth of faith with a personal story of trust and family.
In A Christmas Story, the collective truth centers around the chaotic yet charming rituals of a family holiday and the individual truth: the boundless hope and resilience of childhood dreams.
Prompt: How do the collective truths align with the holiday season’s broader themes? What personal truths do they uncover?
5. Look for the Shadow and the Gift
Every story carries a shadow side—what is repressed, feared, or in conflict—and a gift that emerges through resolution. Through the lens of holiday tradition and renewal, the shadow often represents what disrupts connection and hope, while the gift lies in the restoration of these values. Confronting the shadow allows us to see the transformative arc of the story: the journey from darkness to light, isolation to belonging, or despair to joy.
National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation portrays the shadow of perfectionism and unmet expectations, with the gift being the rediscovery of joy and connection in the messy reality of family life.
Klaus portrays the shadow of division and hatred in a feud-ridden town, with the gift being the rekindling of kindness and connection through storytelling and generosity.
In Gremlins, the shadow manifests in the mischievous, destructive creatures, while the gift lies in the lessons of responsibility and respect for tradition.
I'll Be Home For Christmas portrays the shadow of selfishness and strained family bonds, with the gift being the protagonist’s growth into selflessness and the renewed importance of connection and togetherness during the holiday season.
Prompt: What shadows linger in the story? How do these shadows reflect the disruptions to connection and hope that the holiday lens emphasizes? What lessons or gifts emerge from them, and how do they restore the values of tradition and renewal?
6. What Is the Story’s Medicine?
The “medicine” of a story is its emotional or spiritual truth—the balm it offers to the audience. Through the lens of holiday tradition and renewal, the medicine often addresses themes of restoration, connection, and the rekindling of hope. Identifying this medicine is not just an intellectual exercise; it’s a way to connect deeply with the story’s transformative power deep within you.
Frosty the Snowman delivers joy and selflessness, celebrating the fleeting yet impactful nature of life, a poignant reminder of the season’s transient beauty.
The Santa Clause offers the medicine of embracing transformation and finding joy in unexpected responsibilities, reminding us that connection and belief—both in ourselves and others—are at the heart of the holiday spirit.
Violent Night offers the medicine of rediscovering the true spirit of Christmas through resilience and redemption, reminding us that even in the face of chaos and violence, acts of courage, compassion and belief in family can restore hope and unity.
Jack Frost taps into the medicine of cherishing time with loved ones and finding ways to reconnect beyond loss, reminding us that love, memory and presence endure even in the face of grief, bringing warmth and healing during the holiday season.
Prompt: How does this story heal, inspire, or guide? How does its medicine restore hope, connection, or renewal during the holiday season?
Timeless Lessons
At their core, holiday movies (really… ALL movies) are modern myths, reflecting universal desires and struggles: the search for purpose, the yearning for connection, and the triumph over adversity. But what if you took the extra step to uncover what that could mean for you?
I’ve watched Home Alone nearly every year since I was a young child. But it wasn’t until watching it this year, through this mythic lens, that I realized at the heart of the movies is Kevin’s deep desire to be accepted and loved for who he is which is why his relationships with Old Man Marley and Pigeon Lady are so special — he’s adept at accepting others, even when they can’t accept him. And here’s the kicker — the thing he is berated about, his ingenuity — is also what saves him and makes him more of a hero.2
That’s the most beautiful thing about myths though — they are timeless yet always revealing.
Download your free “Myth & Movies: Holiday Edition” Workbook to uncover the deeper layers of your favorite holiday movies and explore their transformative power in your own life.
In case you were wondering (but you probably weren’t) — yes, I am team “Die Hard is definitely a Christmas movie” in the way that I watch it every year, around Christmas. Also Bruce Willis yelling “Yippee Ki-Yay Mother Fucker” during the holiday stress is soothing to me.
Clearly, my inner child was begging to be heard because I watched more childhood favorites like Home Alone, Nightmare Before Christmas, Jingle All the Way, etc.
What an insightful way to look at holiday movies! I love this!
Jade, thanks for the insight into why we love these movies so much and come back to them year after year. And the additional medicine you gave to me was a guilt free pass for all the shows and movies I binged this season. That was a long and interesting list of movies. It feels less like I frittered away my time. Indeed, it was well spent in mythical medicine! Although what I ate while I watched them could not be justified as healthy or medicinal.