This is a tradition for many across the United States. I have lived in 4 major metros and the theaters are always packed (excepting 2020) on Christmas day. Anec

This is a tradition for many across the United States. I have lived in 4 major metros and the theaters are always packed (excepting 2020) on Christmas day. Anecdotally, many of my friends tell me they have family traditions of opening presents, having a family breakfast, and then catching a midday matinee. Box office receipts show this trend [1]. Hollywood tends to drop some of their biggest films in the late holiday season, possibly to capitalize on this trend, though there is probably some kind of reflexive dynamic to the pattern. Part of me suspects that attending church on Christmas eve/day, once a widely practiced tradition in the U.S. has been replaced by the movies as Americans seek to fill some kind of communal void. [1] https://www.boxofficemojo.com/holiday/christmas_day/2021/ https://www.boxofficemojo.com/holiday/christmas_day/2021/