Christmas is just around the corner and that means your favorite human-sized elf is back in town! In my experience, there is no other Christmas movie that inspires such strong emotions as Elf. There are those people who love it unconditionally and can’t get enough. But, on the other hand, there are people who absolutely cannot stand it and would do anything to avoid seeing Will Ferrell in those yellow tights ever again. Yet somehow, you manage to see the movie every year. What is it that keeps us coming back?

Buddy is just so happy!

Everyone loves to laugh and everyone loves a happy, human-sized elf. Let’s be real, there’s something weirdly addicting about Buddy’s sever naïveté and incessant desire to spread Christmas cheer.

The quotes and gifs are endlessly entertaining.

In or out of context, the things that Buddy says are hilariously weird and we just can’t get enough.

The costumes are great.

However you feel about bright yellow stockings on a full-grown man, you have to admit that it’s quite an experience to

Everyone loves a redemption story!

The struggle that Buddy undergoes to try and earn the respect of his father is just so adorable. Whether you find the comedy hilariously funny or just super annoying, you can’t help but root for him to find success and a happy family in the end.