Unlike the catchy  pop tunes and action-filled blockbusters of warmer weather, some time-tested Christmas melodies and movies released decades ago still remain popular with CHS students and faculty today.

Sophomore Reese Nordeen considers himself a holiday-loving person. Around Christmas, he’ll decorate his locker and he might even dress up as Santa.

One tradition he upholds is listening to Christmas music, which he began listening to in November. Nordeen said his favorite pieces include songs by Nat King Cole and Elvis Presley.

Nordeen said he likes pieces from the 1960s and 1970s because of their style.

“It’s kind of jazzy but Christmas-y. It’s cheerful, and it’s just light,” he said. “Whenever you’re at the mall, or you’re out shopping, or if you’re watching a Christmas movie, they play the classic Christmas songs. It just kind of brings back good memories.”

U.S. History teacher Allison Hargrove said she also listens to many of the same Christmas songs now as she did growing up.

Most of the songs she listened to were religious. For example, singing “O Holy Night” was an annual tradition at Hargrove’s church when she was growing up.

“My mom always plays Christmas music, a lot of religious songs,” Hargrove said. “(She) had a kid’s CD of Christmas songs that we’d always sing. I actually learned how to play some Christmas music (on the piano), like ‘Jingle Bells’ (and ‘Up on the Rooftop’).”

Nordeen says every holiday season, his family will gather and listen to Christmas songs on the radio together.

Social studies teacher Matt Dillon said part of the reason Christmas music has remained so popular is because of its becoming prevalent in stores and restaurants as early as November.

“Well, it’s a little bit weird now,” he said. “We get bombarded with Christmas music very early. It’s become very commercialized. It almost gets to the point where the week or two before Christmas, the last thing you want to listen to is Christmas music.”

Business teacher Pete Smith also said holiday music has gradually become more commercialized over recent decades.

“I think they’ve commercialized Christmas music and jingles for a long time. I think they’re trying to figure out new ways to break into that market,” he said.

Smith also said the industry takes trends, timing and past success and failures of songs around a similar time period into account when making new releases, many of which are renditions of previously copyrighted tunes.

However, the music industry isn’t the only sector of Christmas-related industries that continue to be popular at CHS—classic Christmas movies also play a large role in the holiday season.

With Christmas Eve comes the annual “24 Hours of ‘A Christmas Story’” marathon, which first aired on cable channel TNT in 1997 before switching over to TBS in 2004. The marathon has aired every year since.

Dillon said he goes out of his way to watch part of the marathon every year, while Hargrove said she watched “A Christmas Story” marathons along with “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation” growing up.

She said the reason holiday movies remain popular is because viewers can relate to them.

“I think that they’re relevant,” she said. “The ones that are most popular are showing the hilarity of family surrounding the holidays, and people can relate to having crazy families but also loving their family. Families and holidays are a hilarious combo.”

Dillon said people still watch classic Christmas movies because they can relate to the frenzy of the holiday season.

“I think that it allows you a moment to sort of share in somebody’s else’s stress and pain for the holidays. The holidays can be very stressful,” Dillon said. “There can be a lot of parties, there can be a lot of social gatherings, and I think these sort of movies sort of help you feel maybe a little bit better (because) what you did wasn’t necessarily as bad as what they went through. (‘National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation’) is a very classic kind of movie (where) it’s pretty funny when things happen. The Christmas tree lights on fire … and those of us who’ve ever had a Christmas tree fall over with all the ornaments on it can relate to it and you can understand the stress that comes with that.”

American culture also plays a role in the continuing popularity of Christmas in media, according to Dillon.

“I think in this particular case, (it’s because) we are the birthplace of Hollywood, and I think we’ve added a lot of famous movies to the holiday season, movies like ‘White Christmas’ and ‘It’s a Wonderful Life.’ These are classic movies,” he said. “I think that it’s one of those experiences where we are an overwhelming Christian country, and (that) most Americans celebrate Christmas.”

For his part, Nordeen said his favorite Christmas movies are “Home Alone” for its comedic value and the claymation “Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer” for its outstanding craftsmanship.

Dillon also said the popularity of holiday movies is influenced by the differences between generations.

“The younger generation likes cartoon-based kind of movies, or some claymation kind of movies, like ‘Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town’ and ‘Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer,’” he said. “If you talk to a lot of kids in Carmel High School, they know exactly what you’re talking about when you say, ‘The Burgermeister Meisterburger.’”

Even so, Dillon said many of the younger generation still enjoy the classics, such as Ruldolph and Home Alone.

“It’s one of those things (where) they are the feel-good movies,” he said. “So even though you might be in the younger generation, it doesn’t mean that you can’t get value (from) or enjoy an older style of movie.”

Nordeen said Christmas music and movies are an important part of the holiday season.

“It’s all setting up the mood for the holiday season,” he said. “I just love the feeling in the air. Right now, it’s starting to get colder and into winter, and it’s time for Christmas music again. You just feel different during the holiday season as you get into it.”