Watching horror movies is a popular pastime for the month of October, especially at Halloween parties. However, some of us want to keep watching them all year long! While you could watch whatever horror movies you want, how about this unique selection of holiday-themed horror movies—that doesn't include Halloween! Keep reading to find all the Christmas, Thanksgiving, St. Patrick's Day, Easter, and other holiday horror movies to get you through the year until next Halloween!
New Year's Eve Horror Movies
Where else would we start? Begin the year with a bang...and these horror movies that take place during the New Year! It might surprise you, but several horror movies are set during New Year's Eve. We gathered only a small selection here because we have more holidays to mention!
Ghostbusters II (1989)
[Source: Columbia Pictures/IMDb]
Ghostbusters II takes place five years after the events of the first movie. After all the property damage they caused fighting the supernatural, the Ghostbusters are banned from busting ghosts. However, ghostly events lead to them returning to supernatural shenanigans once again! The chaos reaches a climax on New Year's Eve as the streets of New York are flooded with slime.
Terror Train (1980)
[Source: Astral Bellevue Pathé/Sandy Howard Productions/Triple T Productions/IMDb]
Are you seeking more slashers starring Jamie Lee Curtis? This lesser-known slasher movie involves a fraternity's New Year's party aboard a train. (It's like a party bus, but roomier.) The killer seeks revenge on the sorority students for a hazing prank gone wrong that led to his institutionalization three years prior.
New Year's Evil (1980)
[Source: Cannon Group/IMDb]
Our favorite cheesy holiday horror movies are those with the event right there in the title! If holiday-named horror movies are required viewing for you, don't miss watching 1980's New Year's Evil. A mysterious man calls into a New Year's countdown celebration, threatening to kill someone at midnight for every US time zone. He makes good on his threat, with the LA television host intended as his final victim.
Valentine's Day Horror Movies
Can't stand the saccharine-sweet Valentine's Day celebrations? Enjoy the day your way with a few V-Day horror movies! Watch them solo or with a friend or significant other. You could even grab some Valentine's Day candy to eat as movie snacks!
My Bloody Valentine (1981)
[Source: Canadian Film Development Corporation/Secret Film Company/IMDb]
While it is a band name, My Bloody Valentine is also a 1980s slasher movie. This Canadian production introduced us to the Valentine's Day celebrations of a small mining town, Valentine Bluffs. Traumatized mining disaster survivor Harry Warden threatens the residents should they undergo their typical Valentine's Day festivities. While the mayor and police chief cancel regular events, a group of young townsfolk hold their own celebrations at the mine—with terrible consequences.
Broken Hearts (2010)
[Source: Greenlit Films/Digital Horizon/IMDb]
Can't win the affection of the girl of your dreams? One disturbed character decides to take out the competition in Broken Hearts. This surprisingly well-done, low-budget slasher takes us to Valentine's Day celebrations on the Fenton University campus. While everyone else enjoys the festivities, six eligible bachelors must watch their backs.
Pontypool (2008)
[Source: Ponty Up Pictures/Shadow Shows/IMDb]
Zombie movies for Valentine's Day? Why not! Recently fired shock jock Grant Mazzy finds himself in the little leagues voicing a small-town radio station in a church basement. While he regularly fills his time butting heads with station manager Sydney, reports of violent outbreaks and strange circumstances start pouring into their tiny radio station one Valentine's Day. We slowly discover that an unusual zombie outbreak has taken place, spread through words in the English language.
St. Patrick's Day Horror Movies
Horror movie fans may be familiar with the incredibly cheesy Leprechaun movies, but more horror movies are set during St. Patrick's Day than you might think!
St. Patrick's Day (2021)
[Source: Spring Lane Studios/IMDb]
A typical boozy St. Patrick's Day party turns deadly in St. Patrick's Day. This indie horror film is reminiscent of 1980s slashers, perfect for fans of 80s horror movies or horror movies set in that decade. A killer uses a leprechaun mask, killing unlucky partygoers one by one.
Maniac Cop (1988)
[Source: Shapiro-Glickenhaus Entertainment/IMDb]
Do you love holiday movies that don't overtly sound like they're part of the holiday? (For example, Die Hard is your favorite Christmas movie.) In a similar respect, Maniac Cop is a St. Patrick's Day movie that focuses on a policeman-turned-murderer. The final events of the film take place during a St. Patrick's Day parade, with a manhunt searching for the killer cop.
Leprechaun (1992)
[Source: Trimark Pictures/IMDb]
Is it even St. Patrick's Day for horror movie fans without watching the cult classic Leprechaun? (Or one of its many sequels!) In the original movie, Dan O'Grady traps an evil leprechaun in his basement, but he dies of a stroke before he can kill it. A new family moves into the house, and the evil leprechaun is accidentally released, terrorizing the residents and locals alike. The magical creature proves challenging to vanquish, but he appears to have been stopped at the film's end. (Granted, we know better after Leprechaun 2, 3, 4, In the Hood 1 & 2, Origins, and Returns...)
Easter Horror Movies
Bunnies and baskets and...blood? Oh my! The Easter holiday doesn't scream horror movies to most people, but they'd be wrong. We have a few Easter horror movies for the festive horror fan.
Feaster Sunday (2020)
[Source: Mad Ghoul Entertainment/Rock Bottom Video/youtube.com]
Do you love low-budget horror movies that are surprisingly good? You might like Feaster Sunday! This unexpected holiday slasher movie centers around a local theater putting on a passion play. However, the location was also the scene of a massacre years ago. We guess lightning strikes twice because brutal events unfold at the theater again.
Dead Snow (2009)
What do Easter vacations, ski trips, and zombie Nazis have in common? These things may seem unrelated, but you can thank Dead Snow for putting them together in a humorous way! This Norwegian horror comedy movie shares the exploits of seven college students taking a ski trip over Easter vacation. While they're taking time to party, a strange hiker visits and shares grisly history about the region and how the Nazis occupied it. However, the townspeople rallied and ran the Nazis out of town, with some of them presumably freezing to death. However, they're a little less dead than our vacationers would have guessed...
Critters 2: The Main Course (1988)
[Source: Sho Films/IMDb]
The infamous Gremlins knockoff movie Critters went on to have five sequels and a TV series! But did you know that Critters 2 is also an Easter movie? The critters are born from eggs, which are unwittingly used by a small town in their Easter festivities. This is one of the few Easter movies (of which there aren't many, to begin with) involving a person in a bunny costume or mask where they're the victim and not the killer.
Mother's Day Horror Movies
As the saying goes, mother knows best. That is unless your mom's as twisted as these horror movie mothers. For an often overlooked holiday, you may be surprised to hear that there's not just one but two movies named after Mother's Day!
Serial Mom (1994)
[Source: Polar Entertainment Corporation/IMDb]
An unassuming housewife and true crime fanatic turns deadly in Serial Mom. The movie stars Kathleen Turner and had a budget of $13 million, but it tanked at the box office. Now considered a cult classic, we watch housewife Beverly take perceived imperfections and moral slights into her own hands. While this dark comedy is fun to watch, it has undertones of social commentary with a scathing view of suburban life.
Mother's Day (2010)
[Source: The Genre Co./Rat Entertainment/LightTower Entertainment/IMDb]
You can always return to mom's house when you're in deep trouble. At least, that's where you should be able to turn, but a trio of bank-robbing sons realize too late that their mother's house was repossessed and sold. Now with the new family taken as hostages, the sons call upon their mother to help clean up their mess—with chilling consequences. Ironically, this movie is a loose remake of a film with the same name from 1980.
Mother's Day (1980)
[Source: Duty Productions/Saga Films A.B./IMDb]
While not as good as the 2010 remake, we have a streak of 1980s horror movies in every category so far, and we'd hate to break it! Mother's Day centers around an elderly mother and her two adult sons who are both brutal killers. Mother supports her sons' terrible exploits, watching them torture their victims. However, the girls manage to escape and exact their revenge on the sadistic family.
Father's Day Horror Movies
We already featured some horror movies with killer moms, so it would hardly be fair to leave the dads out of our horror holiday movie roster. While not all of these horror movies overtly celebrate Father's Day, they do include fathers.
Frailty (2001)
[Source: David Kirchner Productions/American Entertainment Co./Cinerenta Medienbeteiligungs KG/Cinedelta/IMDb]
The family that slays together stays together. While police investigate the current "God's Hand" serial killings, they interview a man named Fenton, who claims that the killer is his brother, Adam. As the interview progresses, we are taken back to Adam and Fenton's childhood in 1979, where we learn that their father forced his boys to help him kill people he claimed were "demons". However, as the story unravels, so do the family's lives.
Creepshow (1982)
[Source: United Film Distribution Company/Laurel Show, Inc./IMDb]
This famous horror anthology film has five acts, the first of which is named Father's Day. (For Stephen King fans, this movie marks his screenwriting debut!) Presumably, these short films are excerpts from the Creepshow comic book shown in the film's prologue. Creepshow was a commercial success, which led to two more sequels.
The Stepfather (1987)
[Source: ITC Productions/IMDb]
While Father's Day is not explicitly mentioned or celebrated, this horror movie centers on a killer dad. In a twist on black widow murders, Henry Morrison kills his previous family and takes on a new identity to start over. He marries a woman in Seattle, Washington, a year after the murders. However, with relationships running sour and suspicions high, he prepares to cleanse his palate once again.
4th of July Horror Movies
You might not have even realized it, but the 4th of July has some fantastic horror movies! While your neighbors are outside trying not to light their yards on fire, you can enjoy these 4th of July horror movies. If these iconic movies aren't patriotic enough for you, you can always watch the incredibly cheesy Uncle Sam.
Jaws (1975)
[Source: Zanuck/Brown Company/Universal Pictures/IMDb]
Sun and summer are a big deal for the beach town of Amity Island. However, it's bad for business when a killer shark crashes their 4th of July festivities. A trio of men take to the sea to try and hunt down the shark so that everyone can enjoy the beach again.
The Return of the Living Dead (1985)
[Source: Hemdale/Cinema '84/IMDb]
One of the most iconic zombie movies of the 1980s, The Return of the Living Dead took a slightly different approach to the genre. The zombies were created through exposure to toxic waste and were nearly invulnerable. With the foul waste released on the 3rd of July and chaos ensuing through the day and night, extreme measures are taken on the 4th of July to contain Louisville's zombie outbreak.
I Know What You Did Last Summer (1997)
[Source: Mandalay Entertainment/IMDb]
While driving to the beach to celebrate the 4th of July, a group of friends accidentally hit a pedestrian. Some of them believe he is dead and dump the body into the water. (Granted, as they do so, they find out he's still alive.) After the incident, the friends all go their separate ways and are still trying to heal after such a traumatic experience. However, one year later, the friends start receiving threats and are killed off one by one.
Labor Day Horror Movies
Didn't think you'd see Labor Day on this list? Think again! Labor Day weekend is an excellent time for shenanigans to occur. (Or, in this case, taking the time to watch a few horror movies!)
Stand by Me (1986)
[Source: Act III Productions/IMDb]
While more of an adventure/drama movie with some scary elements than a gruesome horror movie, we couldn't possibly skip over one of the best Stephen King movie adaptations of all time! The film recounts the childhood of Gordie and his three friends. They walk to find and report a child's body, thinking it will turn them into local heroes. The boys get into a few scrapes along the way, and the experience makes for a great coming-of-age movie.
Labor Day (2013)
[Source: Indian Paintbrush/Right of Way/Mr. Mudd/IMDb]
In this thriller drama named appropriately for the Labor Day holiday, an escaped murderer takes refuge at the home of a depressed single mother. While initially fearful of his intentions, Adele slowly falls in love with Frank. Frank makes himself useful around their isolated country home, and they plan to escape to Canada with her son.
The Recall (2017)
[Source: Mind's Eye Entertainment/Bridgegate Pictures/VMI Worldwide/IMDb]
A group of teenage friends go to a secluded cottage in the woods to spend Labor Day partying. However, they didn't count on an alien invasion, complete with UFOs and alien abductions. They also run into a man who goes by "The Hunter" and who is determined to try and stop the aliens by himself. While this movie is a B-grade, low-budget romp, fans of cheesy holiday horror movies may enjoy this one.
Thanksgiving Horror Movies
Treat yourself this Thanksgiving to some holiday horror movies! Watch one of the famous ThanksKilling movies if you didn't get enough cheese at dinner time, or satisfy your 80s horror-loving self. Just be thankful that you have a few options here!
ThanksKilling (2008)
[Source: In Broad Daylight Films/IMDb]
If you're a fan of campy horror movies where people get taken down one-by-one slasher-style by their favorite holiday icons, you'll love ThanksKilling. A demonic turkey kills college kids during their Thanksgiving break in an ironic lack of taste for Thanksgiving. The turkey proves to be surprisingly difficult to deal with and near-immortal. (If you need a more ridiculous way to digest your ThanksKilling, there's also a musical adaptation!)
Intensity (1997)
[Source: Mandalay Entertainment/Columbia TriStar Television/IMDb]
Coming in at just over 3 hours, this two-part TV miniseries thriller is quite good! (In contrast to ThanksKilling.) In the movie, Chyna goes to a friend's Thanksgiving meal with her family, only for a serial killer to ruin the festivities. While Chyna manages to escape, she takes it upon herself to free Ariel, a girl that killer Vess has taken captive. We find out that Chyna came from an abusive home, and she wants desperately to help Ariel find peace after her ordeal.
Blood Rage (1987)
[Source: Film Limited Partnership/IMDb]
What's Thanksgiving without a little family tea? In Blood Rage, we watch twins Terry and Todd terrorize their family and friends. As a child, Terry killed a man and managed to blame Todd, who was institutionalized. Todd manages to escape on Thanksgiving and heads home, but his brother Terry goes on a killing spree as events unfold.
Christmas Horror Movies
Out of all the non-Halloween holiday horror movies, Christmas has the most. The destruction of innocence is one of horror's favorite tropes, and what could be more innocent than sparkling lights and presents all around? Get ready to end the year with a bang by watching these Christmas horror movies!
Black Christmas (1974)
[Source: Film Funding Ltd./Vision IV/Canadian Film Development Corporation/Famous Players/IMDb]
One of the earliest-known slasher films, Black Christmas, is based on the urban legend about the babysitter and the man upstairs. A group of sorority girls are called and stalked by a ruthless killer during Christmas. While the movie initially had a mixed response, it's now recognized as a cult classic and one of the influences behind John Carpenter's Halloween. This is a Christmas classic for horror movie fans and often a yearly must-watch!
Silent Night, Deadly Night (1984)
[Source: Slayride Productions Inc./IMDb]
Do you love holiday slasher movies where iconic holiday characters are the villains? You can get your fix with Silent Night, Deadly Night. After a traumatizing event in his childhood involving Santa Claus, Billy is told that he punishes naughty people. As a grown-up, Billy takes it upon himself to be Santa Claus and to execute a warped "naughty or nice" policy. This is one holiday 80s slasher you shouldn't miss!
Better Watch Out (2016)
[Source: Storm Vision Entertainment/Best Medicine Productions/IMDb]
Fans of modern horror movies have a new holiday horror flick in Better Watch Out. Babysitter Ashley finds out she's watching a very twisted child at Christmas time. She is taken hostage by Luke and his friend, Garrett. Things take a turn for the worse when Ashley's boyfriend arrives, alerted by text messages. Will there be any more happy holidays?
We hope you're ready for a new year of horror movies! Do you enjoy watching horror movies year-round, or are they strictly for the Halloween season for you? What are some of your holiday horror movie must-watch films? We'd love to hear your input in the comments. Don't forget to check out our horror movie costumes and gifts for spine-tingling fun!
