Fact checked by Sarah Scott Watching football has long been a staple of Thanksgiving day for many American families, but it's not always a hit with younger kids. In recent years, many families prefer watching movies to keep busy during the holiday.

With Halloween leaving its sugar hangover and Christmas already jingling in the distance, Thanksgiving sits wedged in the middle like the unremarkable slice of turkey in a festive sandwich. And while how good the actual turkey turns out remains in the hands of the chef,

While Halloween may be the biggest holiday of the year for fans of the horror genre, there are more Thanksgiving horror movies available than you may even realize. That sort of appetizing fact is probably quite satisfying to audiences not quite ready to hunker down for Christmas horror movies but are hungry for some grim and gory (and even goofy) thrillers and chillers that lovingly acknowledge the November festivities.

Christmas-themed movies are a common tradition for the holiday season. Many families can’t get into the spirit without watching their go-tos, like Elf (2003), How The Grinch Stole Christmas (1966), and Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (1964).