Some American holidays are intrinsically tied to certain traditions. Fourth of July and fireworks shows. Thanksgiving and Black Friday shopping. And then there’s Christmas and the movie theater.

Moviegoing may not be the first thing you think of when considering the Christmas season. There are the trees, sure, then the carols, even the cut-out cookies. But going to the movie theater either on Christmas, or in the days surrounding it, has become a cherished holiday tradition for many families.

“On that day, it’s like the movie theater becomes a midnight mass,” said Matthew Germenis, 33, who’s been going to the movies on Christmas since he was a teen. “It’s just something really, really special.”

Germenis isn’t alone. The holiday season has become a massive time for movie theaters and studios. In years past, film franchises like “Harry Potter” and “The Lord of the Rings” became holiday classics thanks purely to holiday release dates — in 2001, the first Harry Potter film, released just before Thanksgiving, topped the holiday season box office, while “The Fellowship of the Ring” came in at No. 3. The former went on to become the highest grossing movie of the entire year.

In other words: The holiday season, especially the week between Christmas Eve and New Year’s Day, pulls thousands of people to cinemas, many in the name of tradition. But exactly how the holiday and moviegoing became so intertwined is, well, a bit of a Christmas miracle.

Perched atop of a platform on the Eiffel Tower at the start of the Paris Olympics in July, Celine Dion, gone for years amid a bitter health battle, marked her return in grand fashion with a rendition of Edith Piaf classic “Hymne À L’Amour.” It was, you could say, her own hymne à la résilience.

Dion announced in 2022 that she had been diagnosed with Stiff Person Syndrome (SPS), a rare neurological disorder. At the time, she said the condition did not allow her “to sing the way I’m used to.”

When she took the Olympic stage, seemingly closer to the heavens than the ground, she hadn’t performed live since 2020.

Just one month prior, the world was invited into her battle like never before via “I Am: Celine Dion,” which offered an intimate look at Dion’s return to performing live amid her battle with the disease.

“I think the performance really gave her confidence and also just really allowed her to show how far she’s come this last year,” Irene Taylor, who directed the documentary, told CNN in a recent interview.

As one of the most revered vocal talents of our time, Dion’s voice has been used to amplify some of the greatest stories ever told both in song and on the big screen. This year, she told her own story as she reemerged into public view, finding and sharing the power of her voice like never before.

Arnold Schwarzenegger is a man of many talents, as he holds titles including body builder, politician and movie star.

With his latest movie role, however, the former governor of California can now add becoming Santa Claus to his list, as he embodies the Christmas gift-giver in an upcoming holiday movie titled “The Man with the Bag.”

“Santa Claus is coming to town!” Schwarzenegger wrote on his Instagram page on Tuesday, later adding, “I can’t wait to share all of this Christmas cheer with each and every one of you.”

Schwarzenegger shared a photo of himself posing with his costar, actor Alan Ritchson, with whom he’s currently filming in New York City.

The “Terminator” star appears in a shaggy white beard and hairdo, and a red wool coat over a festive Christmas sweater in the photo.

“The Man With the Bag” follows Santa, who turns to his naughty list to find a former thief to help him get his stolen magic bag back, according to a summary of the Adam Shankman-directed film.

Schwarzenegger is no stranger to spreading holiday cheer through his movies.

In 1996, he starred in the holiday family comedy “Jingle All the Way” as a father who goes to great and hilarious lengths to get his hands on a popular toy to give to his son for Christmas.

“The Man With the Bag” will be Schwarzenegger’s first major feature film role since 2019’s “Terminator: Dark Fate.”