# Why are movies open on Christmas? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 26, 2015, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-movies-open-on-christmas/741359 "2015-12-26T00:35:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Spiderman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spiderman/32/230_2.png) [@Spiderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiderman)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2015, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-movies-open-on-christmas/741359/1 "2015-12-26T00:35:44Z")
Traditionally the only things open on Christmas are Chinese food & movie theaters. Yes, some fancier restaurants are open, but they usually are independent restaurants & not chains. There’s a few NBA games, but not a full schedule & even then they’re limited to a handful of major cities so the majority of people can’t go there. The NHL is off today. So why are movie theaters almost universally open on Christmas? Unlike Chinese restaurants, you’d think the majority of employees are Christian. Why are they the only piece of the entertainment industry open today? ---
**Author:** ![campp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@campp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/campp)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2015, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-movies-open-on-christmas/741359/2 "2015-12-26T00:36:35Z")
It’s one of my favorite days to go. No one is there. ---
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2015, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-movies-open-on-christmas/741359/3 "2015-12-26T01:08:59Z")
No one is there? My friend went to see hunger games today and told me it was packed. ---
**Author:** ![sinjin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ebca7d/32.png) [@sinjin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sinjin)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2015, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-movies-open-on-christmas/741359/4 "2015-12-26T01:14:38Z")
Because not everyone in America is Christian Because some Christians celebrate on Christmas Eve Because some Christians live far from family and gift opening only takes a short time and then you have the rest of the day to do other things Add all those sums and you get a lot of people who want to go to the movies on the national holiday that is Christmas Day. ---
**Author:** ![pidgeon92](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/50afbb/32.png) [@pidgeon92](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pidgeon92)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2015, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-movies-open-on-christmas/741359/5 "2015-12-26T01:23:06Z")
I worked in movie theatres for 10 years, from the mid-80s to the mid-90s. We always had a lot of customers on Christmas day. Not everyone celebrates in the same way. ---
**Author:** ![escaped](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/848f3c/32.png) [@escaped](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/escaped)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2015, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-movies-open-on-christmas/741359/6 "2015-12-26T01:41:09Z")
Theatres are n the business of making if they can make on chrismas they will try to do so. ---
**Author:** ![Spiderman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spiderman/32/230_2.png) [@Spiderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiderman)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2015, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-movies-open-on-christmas/741359/7 "2015-12-26T01:41:15Z")
> [@sinjin](#): > > Because not everyone in America is Christian > > Because some Christians celebrate on Christmas Eve > > Because some Christians live far from family and gift opening only takes a short time and then you have the rest of the day to do other things > > Add all those sums and you get a lot of people who want to go to the movies on the national holiday that is Christmas Day. I understand that but I think you missed my point. Why _only_ movies & not musuems, or bowling, or hockey, or laser tag, or… Why are (almost) all movie theaters open today while the rest of the entertainment world isn’t? ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2015, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-movies-open-on-christmas/741359/8 "2015-12-26T01:46:35Z")
There’s already a thread about this in Cafe Society. > **[When did Christmas Day movies become "big"?](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=778056)** > > This Christmas, a lot of people are going to the movies and Hollywood is taking advantage. When did going to the movies on Christmas Day become a big thing among the public? And what were the first movies to open or go wide release on Christmas... ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2015, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-movies-open-on-christmas/741359/9 "2015-12-26T02:05:31Z")
It’s been awhile since I was in the US for Christmas – 1993 to be exact – but the cinemas always seemed busy on that day. Not every family likes to spend Christmas at home. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2015, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-movies-open-on-christmas/741359/10 "2015-12-26T02:07:27Z")
It may be because movie theaters require a small staff relative to the number of people being entertained. With digital projectors, is there even a need for someone to staff the projection booth anymore? I imagine that role could be largely automated. So you need a couple of people at the ticket booth, perhaps a ticket-tearer and a couple of people at the concession stand. ---
**Author:** ![GreenElf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9de053/32.png) [@GreenElf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreenElf)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2015, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-movies-open-on-christmas/741359/11 "2015-12-26T02:13:52Z")
I don’t think a Christmas-themed light show would be enough for a bowling alley or ice rink to make comparable premium on revenue to a movie theater on Christmas offering a new Star Wars movie, so they may as well let their employees enjoy the holiday. Unless the museum features a north pole exhibit with sleigh rides for the kids, I doubt it would garner a premium on daily revenue either. And another reason to seek a premium on daily revenue is you’re paying employees 150% to 200% their standard wage. ---
**Author:** ![Lubricious\_Integument](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/82dd89/32.png) [@Lubricious\_Integument](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lubricious_Integument)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2015, 4:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-movies-open-on-christmas/741359/12 "2015-12-26T04:33:03Z")
Going to the movies is a great activity for a first date. You are spending time with your date, possibly someone you don’t know all that well, but you have no direct communication for about two hours. All that time you don’t have to struggle to make conversation, and once the movie is over you have at least one thing to talk about - the movie. The same principle holds for spending Christmas with a bunch of relatives when you’d rather be somewhere else. What to do together? The movies! ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2015, 5:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-movies-open-on-christmas/741359/13 "2015-12-26T05:29:43Z")
I remember a few holidays where my dad took us out to the movies while my mom stayed home and prepared dinner. This was during the ages where we were more nuisance than useful. The one year I worked at a movie theater, I worked on Christmas, and I’m a Christian. A Christian who likes double time pay! ---
**Author:** ![gaffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2015, 5:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-movies-open-on-christmas/741359/14 "2015-12-26T05:34:42Z")
_“I remember when Jews Go To The Movies Day was all about Jews going to the movies!”_ - Jon Stewart ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2015, 5:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-movies-open-on-christmas/741359/15 "2015-12-26T05:52:53Z")
> [@sinjin](#): > > Because not everyone in America is Christian > > Because some Christians celebrate on Christmas Eve > > Because some Christians live far from family and gift opening only takes a short time and then you have the rest of the day to do other things > > Add all those sums and you get a lot of people who want to go to the movies on the national holiday that is Christmas Day. Not much else is going on, either, so why not? ---
**Author:** ![DesertDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desertdog/32/11503_2.png) [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2015, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-movies-open-on-christmas/741359/16 "2015-12-26T14:49:30Z")
My room mate worked for a movie theater chain for some years (this was before her stint at a gas station, if you’re keeping score) and Christmas was always their busiest day with Thanksgiving a close second. It was more so in the morning (10am or so) then slack off a bit from 1pm to about 5, then come on strong again in the evening. We figured the morning surge was the women getting husbands and kids from under foot so they can get some work done in an already crowded kitchen. ---
**Author:** ![GreenElf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9de053/32.png) [@GreenElf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreenElf)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2015, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-movies-open-on-christmas/741359/17 "2015-12-26T16:55:49Z")
> [@DesertDog](#): > > My room mate worked for a movie theater chain for some years (this was before her stint at a gas station, if you’re keeping score) I have a little chart tacked to my wall to keep a tally of your roommate’s job history. Thanks for the update. One more empty slot filled. ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2015, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-movies-open-on-christmas/741359/18 "2015-12-26T17:00:04Z")
> [@gaffa](#): > > _“I remember when Jews Go To The Movies Day was all about Jews going to the movies!”_ - Jon Stewart Years ago, I was visiting my folks over Christmas break. On Christmas eve, we decided to go out an see a movie (we’re Jewish). As we walked towards the theater, I said to my Dad “You know, there’s only going to be Jews at the theater,” and he said “Oh, lots of Christians go out to the movies on Christmas eve.” We walked into the theater, and as we rounded the corner, the first thing we saw was the back of three heads, each wearing a yarmulke. I turned to my Dad, and looked at him, and I thought he was going to bust a gut! He said “OK, you win!” ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2015, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-movies-open-on-christmas/741359/19 "2015-12-26T19:40:20Z")
Movies are expensive. For some families, going to a movie theater is a special event. Everyone going to a movie together on Christmas can be a family tradition. And there’s also people who aren’t celebrating Christmas. Some families aren’t Christian. Some people don’t have families or are separated from them. Going to a movie on Christmas is a way of distracting yourself from the fact that you’re not participating in a traditional celebration. ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2015, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-movies-open-on-christmas/741359/20 "2015-12-26T23:06:20Z")
We saw _A Star is Born on Christmas_. No problem with that at all. Might do it again some decade (like when the next remake comes out?). Most movies had more money yesterday than any other weekday this week. Plus there were several openers making the total box office even higher. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-movies-open-on-christmas/741359.md?page=2)