Although people constantly complain about the annoyances of the holiday season, like taking awkward family photos, most cannot help but secretly love everything about these obnoxiously festive winter activities.

For starters, how could one hate the fact that Elf practically runs 24/7 on TNT starting Thanksgiving Day and ending New Year’s Day? The answer: they cannot. It is impossible. Elf is arguably the best holiday movie out there because it is humorous and heartwarming at the same time. If you haven’t seen this glorious film, it is about a human, Buddy, raised by Santa’s elves in the North Pole. After wreaking havoc there, due to his size and other human qualities, he journeys to New York City to find both his biological father and his identity. His reaction to the city and other humans could make even the grumpiest of people crack a smile. This is why, quite frankly, I love the fact that Elf is constantly airing for one out of the twelve months of the year.

Tis the season to take awkward family photos and then mail them to everyone you’ve ever known. Holiday cards could easily be despised by anyone who has had to pose by the fireplace wearing an ugly color coordinated sweater with the rest of their family, but I choose to love them. My personal favorite was a card from an older couple. They were standing on the beach, which looked like a green screen, wearing fanny packs and tennis shoes, like a typical tourist. The caption said “Greetings from Hawaii and Happy Holidays!” in an obnoxious font. This card is my favorite because it combines my two favorite things, old people and awkward situations, into one hilarious photo. While the taking of the picture is slightly less than horrific for most of us, I think we can all agree that receiving others cards provides hours of entertainment during this wonderful season.

The holiday season brings many hours of family time — more than most of us would ever desire. While family traditions differ, it is a fact that families spend more time together during this time of year. One common activity that families do together is decorating the Christmas tree. I know in my family, we spend a whole evening placing ornaments, garland and lights on the tree, while listening to holiday music. Other families may bake cookies together on Christmas Eve for Santa Claus or even go to the movies on Christmas Day together. While there are much more desirable things to do, such as hanging out with friends, it is nice to have a little family time every now and then.

While most of the holiday festivities we are forced to take part in cannot be considered enjoyable on the surface, we all love them deep down. I think that everyone has some sort of appreciation for Elf, even if it is playing for a month straight. Everyone is also grateful for receiving countless awkward holiday cards in the mail and the hours of “quality” family time, after all this season only comes once a year.