Contrary to popular belief, Halloween movies and horror movies are two different things. Just because a movie is scary, doesn’t mean it’s right to get you in the spooky mood.

Don’t get me wrong, I love horror movies, but not everyone is a big fan.

This is why it’s important to recognize the difference between Halloween movies and horror movies: the Halloween spirit is for everyone, but scary movies aren’t.

You can tease them a little bit, but it’s uncool to exclude your friends from the fun holiday festivities just because they don’t like scary movies, especially when there are so many other options for you to watch.

Also, if we continue to pretend that every horror film is a Halloween movie, we’re taking the spotlight away from Halloween-themed movies that are only socially acceptable to watch for a small portion of the year. Horror movies can be watched year-round, while movies with a specific Halloween theme are more seasonal.

Hanging out with friends and screaming your heads off at a thriller is fun, but it can also be nice to curl up with a disgusting amount of candy and watch “Halloweentown” or “The Nightmare Before Christmas” together. Watching a tamer movie will also prevent accidental popcorn spills during jump scares.

Of course, there’s good news for fans of both getting scared and watching Halloween-themed flicks: the two categories aren’t entirely black and white. Some horror movies are Halloween movies.

Take, for instance, the movie “Halloween” and its many sequels. These are Halloween movies because “Halloween” is heavily centered around the holiday it’s named after.

There’s nothing wrong with watching any old horror movie if that’s what gets you into the spooky season. However, maybe you should consider giving a seasonably appropriate film a shot.

After all, there are plenty of other Halloween traditions that are scary. Save the terror for a haunted house, and invite all your friends to your movie night.