Christmas movies are everywhere. They’re playing on the TVs in stores, they’re all over cable, they’re streaming online, they’re simply just everywhere. After many years of seeing the same films over and over, and hearing people talk about the same films over and over, I began to pick up on some weird facts about some of these films. There’s no value to knowing these facts, but I think they’re pretty neat.

5) Home Alone and Christmas Vacation were written by the same person

Two of the greatest Christmas comedies of all time were written by the same person, John Hughes. Christmas Vacation and Home Alone are two movies that many of us can’t escape during the holiday season. Hughes has also written various other non-holiday classics including The Breakfast Club and Farris Bueller’s Day Off. Way to go, Mr. Hughes.

4) The actor who played Ralphie in A Christmas Story plays a small role in Elf

Remember that elf that asks Buddy how many Etch-a-Sketches he finished in the beginning of Elf? That guy was Ralphie. He’s a little older and he’s sporting a neckbeard, but he still appears to have both of his eyes, so that’s good to see.

3) There’s a Christmas Vacation 2

I probably shouldn’t tell you this one. . .but there is a sequel to National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation. Don’t get too excited, because it’s pretty terrible. It’s beyond that, really. It’s more than just a sequel that doesn’t live up to the original, it’s just a steaming pile of trash. The movie is titled, Christmas Vacation 2: Cousin Eddie’s Island Adventure. As you can probably guess, it’s about cousin Eddie. But he’s not funny in this one.

2) There’s a Christmas Story 2

While we’re talking about lackluster sequels, A Christmas Story also has a sequel, simply titled, A Christmas Story 2. This film is more watchable than Christmas Vacation 2, but it's still really bad. In this movie, Ralphie is sixteen. Instead of wanting an official Red Ryder, carbine action, two-hundred shot range model air rifle, he wants a car. I recommend avoiding this too, but if you're morbidly curious, sometimes you can find this one crammed in the bargain bin.

1) The FBI Thought It’s a Wonderful Life was communist propaganda

It’s a Wonderful Life is played on television so frequently, I imagine that it’s impossible to get through the holidays without seeing it. A 1947 FBI memo reads, “the film represented rather obvious attempts to discredit bankers by casting Lionel Barrymore as a ‘Scrooge-type’ so the would be the most hated man in the picture. This, according to these sources, is a common trick used by Communists.”