Lately, conversation has been stirring among Lumen Christi students about which Halloween movie reigns supreme. Fellow Titan Times staff writer Antwon Baker recently explored this debate in his article, but in the middle of all the ghostly chatter, another question crept in:

Is The Nightmare Before Christmas really a Halloween movie—or is it actually a Christmas movie in disguise?

The question first came up during Mrs. Learned’s seventh-hour theology class, when students started polling their classmates for favorite Halloween films. It was a normal discussion at first—until one popular pick stopped me in my tracks: Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas.

The title alone seems to jingle with Christmas spirit, but the movie is a fan favorite every October. So which is it? I decided to get to the bottom of this age-old holiday identity crisis.

The Case for Halloween

The argument for calling it a Halloween movie is strong. The story unfolds in spooky Halloweentown, home to ghosts, ghouls, and the self-proclaimed Pumpkin King, Jack Skellington. Nearly every character is tied to the fright-filled side of the calendar. The film’s style—dark, gothic, and eerie—fits perfectly alongside pumpkins and trick-or-treating. In this light, it’s hard to deny its Halloween DNA.

The Case for Christmas

Still, it’s easy to see why others call it a Christmas movie. For one thing, the word Christmas is right there in the title. The plot centers on Jack’s fascination with the holiday, his attempt to take over Santa’s job, and his journey to understand the spirit of Christmas. The story even climaxes on Christmas Eve, with snow falling and carols playing. It’s festive, sentimental, and filled with ornaments and candy canes—just with a darker twist.

So if the movie’s conflict and resolution both revolve around Christmas, doesn’t that make it a Christmas movie? Not so fast.

The Final Verdict

When all the arguments are laid out, the answer comes down to two things: the release date and the creator’s word. The Nightmare Before Christmas premiered on October 29, 1993—squarely in Halloween season. And if that’s not convincing enough, the film’s mastermind, Tim Burton, has confirmed it himself: It’s a Halloween movie.

So this October, when you’re deciding what to watch, you can feel confident queuing up The Nightmare Before Christmas without fear of being seasonally offbeat. Grab some popcorn, throw on your skeleton pajamas, and enjoy Tim Burton’s claymation classic for what it truly is—a Halloween movie.