'Home Alone,' 'A Christmas Story,' 'A Charlie Brown Christmas' are the most-rewatched holiday classics. What makes them so beloved?

The 25-minute animated special featuring Charlie Brown, Lucy, and — in a poignant, stand-out performance — Linus, premiered in 1965 and has continued to bring families together ever since. It remains a must-see for many in the increasingly crowded market of holiday fare and is gaining popularity day by day on some channels.

A Charlie Brown Christmas, A Christmas Story and Home Alone are always on the holiday menu

So, what is it about these titles and Christmas programming in general that compels us to revisit them year after year?

Pamela Rutledge, director of the independent Media Psychology Research Center advocating for media and technology with a positive influence, asserts that holiday films are beloved primarily because they evoke emotions.

My entire childhood, I thought the old timey movie that Kevin watches in Home Alone (Angels With Filthy Souls) was actually an old movie.

— Seth Rogen (@Sethrogen) December 25, 2018

"They let us tap into emotions," she tells Yahoo Entertainment. "Whether we're laughing, crying, or going 'awwww,' they allow us to experience the emotions associated with social validation, the power of connection, compassion, and empathy."

These films also act as nostalgia triggers. Many of us have memories of watching Macaulay Culkin's Kevin McCallister praying over his Dec. 24 dinner of macaroni and cheese before the burglars arrive, hilariously pranking the pizza delivery guy, or dropping paint buckets on the very inept bad guys.

Macaulay Culkin's Kevin decorates a Christmas tree as Joe Pesci's Harry looks on in the 1990 movie Home Alone

"Holiday movies tap into tradition... triggering nostalgia for 'the good old days' when things seemed simpler, kinder, and slower," Rutledge says. "The human brain is funny. It tends to remember happy events with a bit of fairy dust, amplifying the glow and heightening our enjoyment of positive memories. [The holiday favorites] become annual rituals, signifying the holiday season as much as Christmas carols playing at the mall."

In essence, they grant us a visit back to the past, an escape that is predictable and happy. We know the characters will discover the true meaning of Christmas and end up bursting with love.

As Rutledge notes, it's unsurprising that audiences' favorite shows and movies from this time of year are beneficial to us physically. They help our hearts by lowering stress and increasing resilience with an empathy boost and heightened hope.

"A Charlie Brown Christmas" (1965) has landed on Variety's list of 40 best Christmas movies of all time.

See what else made the cut here: https://t.co/xB1X6Shf7q pic.twitter.com/i3KtGfescB

— Variety (@Variety) November 20, 2023

"Feeling good around the holidays is good for you," she says. "It releases stress and amplifies the warm feelings that the hustle and bustle of the holidays can generate. Especially after COVID, reinforcing the sense of warmth and connection is important."

Penne L. Restad, author of the book Christmas in America: A History, points out that two favorite movies chosen by poll respondents feature children without parents, emphasizing resourcefulness and reliance on others. Like most holiday movies, they follow a formula.

"They tend to be safe with predictable happy endings," explains Prof. T. Makana Chock, a media psychologist and communications professor at Syracuse University. "We may cry over Charlie Brown's sad little tree or shiver over 'Old Man' Marley, but we know that the story will end happily with friends and family together again. Predictable narratives and happy endings provide a sense of comfort and can temporarily alleviate the stress of daily life."

Peter Billingsley, second from right, stars in A Christmas Story

Thanks to Blockbuster and streaming services that followed, we can replay Christmas movies — and the positive feelings they create — over and over. And over again the next year.

All this means that Christmas movies are consistently on the menu for families. As Restad notes, it's easier to talk about them than subjects such as politics.

"Movies like these are small, modern touchstones of stability in an increasingly hurried and harried world," Restad says. "They demand very little but can provide that (often gossamer) thread of connection among the viewers."