The Nightmare Before Christmas is a stop motion nonfiction movie released in 1993. It follows Jack Skellington from Halloweentown. He stumbles across Christmastown, and decides to bring terror by kidnapping Santa Claus and filling his role but adding a more Halloween twist to common Christmas events. By doing this he meets his love interest, Sally. This movie has many Halloween and Christmas aspects which brings up the big question, is it a Halloween or Christmas movie?

There are both Halloween and Christmas scenes in The Nightmare Before Christmas. Jack Skellington is from the town Halloweentown, but he also explores Christmastown to kidnap Santa. When he takes over the role of Santa Claus, he replaces the common Christmas events with more Halloween centered ones. When making presents, he fills them with spooky items, skulls, insects, and snakes. He terrorizes people and Christmas becomes a nightmare, all aspects of Christmas turn into Halloween.

When looking at the movie, it is clear that it is centered around Halloween. “Halloween, there’s one Christmas scene,” said senior Madison Mingora.  She continued, “It says before Christmas, and what’s before Christmas? Halloween.”

There are Christmas characteristics, but most of the scenes include Halloween or spooky details. The movie’s overall aesthetic is dark. Pumpkins, spiders, bats, black cats, and more Halloween themed characteristics are shown throughout the film. Furthermore, the film was released on October 29th of 1993, just two days before Halloween.

Despite this, senior Winnie Chen stated “It has Christmas in the name so it’s a Christmas movie” which sparked a heated debate between Mingora and Chen. Mingora went on to proclaim, “The ‘nightmare‘ before Christmas is just another way to say Halloween.” The answer is clear, The Nightmare Before Christmas is ultimately a Halloween movie.