The Christmas season begins for me just minutes after Thanksgiving dinner is finished and the turkey-induced coma is in effect. One of my family’s – and many others’ – traditions is an annual Christmas movie viewing after the big meal.

Watching Christmas movies is a pastime enjoyed by millions of Americans, and most of them happen to be between the ages of 45 and 64, according to a poll by Statista. Ages 30 to 44 make up the second largest group of viewers. I always thought it would be kids. So much for that assumption.

For the record, I can’t remember half of the movies I’ve seen in the last three months, but there are some I’ve been watching for years that I can I quote almost verbatim. “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation” is one of them because it’s my favorite Christmas movie. Probably because since it came out in 1989 when I was working in a movie theater, I’ve watched it more than 100 times, but that’s a conservative and unofficial count at best. In its 34 years, having watched it at least twice per year – maybe more – and at just over 90 minutes in length, I’ve easily spent more than 150 hours of my life watching “Christmas Vacation.”

Watching Christmas movies is as much a tradition for many Americans as decorating trees, sharing gifts, and holiday cooking. More than half of the population says it watches at least five movies during the season and more than 75 percent say they watch movies on cable networks.

While I was watching “Christmas Vacation” for the umpteenth time, more than 3.3 million people were viewing the new Hallmark Christmas movie “A Merry Scottish Christmas,” which was the fourth most-watched cable program of Thanksgiving week, just behind Monday Night Football.

I also learned over Thanksgiving weekend – after two decades – why my sister-in-law dislikes leg lamps – not because they are “fragile” (if you speak Italian) but because she fervently dislikes the movie, “A Christmas Story.” So, when someone suggested it over the holiday and she shot it down, I had to ask why…and now I know. Still, the whole family agrees every year on “Christmas Vacation.”

“A Christmas Story,” according to one survey, is the most popular Christmas movie in America with nearly half of states choosing it as their favorite. The same survey said it’s also North Carolina’s favorite Christmas movie. It is a favorite in Ohio where it was filmed. However, folks in Indiana picked “Elf” as their favorite, even though “A Christmas Story” takes place in the fictional Indiana town of Hohman. “Elf” happened to be the second favorite Christmas movie in the U.S.

As it happens, my sister-in-law is originally from Pennsylvania, where “Elf” is their favorite Christmas movie. I should have asked her over Thanksgiving how she felt about that one.

“Christmas Vacation” landed at no. 7 on the survey list. “The Nightmare Before Christmas,” which my family watches every year for Halloween (like many other fans), is fifth on the list, but guess what was right behind “Christmas Vacation?” It’s the Bruce Willis action classic, “Die Hard,” my second favorite Christmas movie.

“Die Hard” isn’t really a Christmas movie, you say (or maybe you agree). The summer blockbuster was released on July 22, 1988, but the movie takes place during the Christmas season, sparking one of the biggest debates in film history. The survey results say “no,” by 59 percent of respondents, but 41 percent say “yes,” which is close. Give it time. “Yipeekayay!”

When someone told me they didn’t think “Die Hard” was a Christmas movie “just because it happens during Christmas,” I responded, “What about ‘Home Alone?’” It’s the third most popular Christmas movie, and it’s classified as a Christmas movie for the very same reason – it takes place on Christmas and has Christmas imagery. Maybe it’s because its November release date found it active in theaters during the holidays. It is also the second highest grossing Christmas movie, earning about $500 million, just behind 2018’s “The Grinch,” which grossed $526 million.

If you’re curious, the first ever Christmas movie, the 1898 British film, “Santa Claus,” directed by George Albert Smith, is just under two minutes long and can be found on YouTube. It’s probably not the most captivating Christmas film, but when it was released, it was quite revolutionary. But a “Christmas Vacation,” it is not.

There are hundreds of Christmas movies to choose from. In fact, Variety Magazine says last year about 140 new ones debuted, and this year just over 100 more films will be released. Hallmark alone will release 40 Christmas features. The website Rotten Tomatoes has a list of the 100 best Christmas movies of all time based on viewer popularity. Spoiler alert: “Christmas Vacation” was at 75 on the list, which still baffles me. Even “A Christmas Story” and it’s dreadful sequel fared better. “Die Hard” landed a solid position at 11 on the list.

I’m not sure who has that much time to watch that many movies, maybe the people who start watching Christmas movies in September and October.

Yep, some people begin that early.

Come to think about it, if I traded in the hours and years that I’ve spent rewatching “Christmas Vacation” I probably could watch all of the others too. What’s beautiful is you can have your own favorite Christmas movie that you and your family hold dear, and regardless of rankings and lists, watch what gets you into the season