Warning: This article contains spoilers for Falling For ChristmasNetflix has kicked off the holiday season with Falling For Christmas, a traditional Hallmark-style movie with a slightly predictable ending which still has some unanswered questions. Falling For Christmas focuses on spoiled heiress Sierra Belmont, played by Lindsay Lohan in her acting comeback, who does not want to accept a job as “Vice President of Atmosphere” from her father Beauregard Belmont (Jack Wagner) at his Belmont Summit Resort, where they are staying. A freak accident after boyfriend Tad (George Young) proposes causes Sierra to get amnesia, and the owner of North Star Lodge Jake (Chord Overstreet) offers his lodge as a sanctuary until Sierra can remember who she is. Falling For Christmas follows Sierra as she tries to unlearn her selfish ways with the help of Jake and his daughter Avy (Olivia Perez).
As Sierra does not know who she is, and no one at North Star Lodge does either, she stays there as “Sarah” and Falling For Christmas shows Sierra’s development in becoming self-sufficient and less selfish. In line with Netflix's Christmas movies and their Hallmark inspirations, Sierra and Jake start to fall for each other, unbeknownst to either of them that Sierra is engaged to Tad. Falling For Christmas has a touch of magic to it too, as a mysterious Chestnut Vendor (William “Bus” Riley) seems to be helping Sierra and Jake get together. The pressure is only added to Falling For Christmas as North Star Lodge is under serious financial pressure, and Sierra’s father declined to help them at the beginning, so the Lodge is under threat of closure. Given all this setup, here is everything that happens in the Falling For Christmas ending explained.
Falling for Christmas Ending Explained
By the end of Falling For Christmas, there were a few problems that needed resolving. Sierra had been helping Jake organize a Christmas Eve party to raise funds for North Star Lodge (whose filming location for Falling For Christmas is quite different from its portrayal). Although Jake was reluctant to take donations, Sierra convinced him, allowing the town and past guests of the lodge to give donations to help them through the winter. However, the donations were beneficial but did not solve the lack-of-guest problem. Meanwhile, Sierra’s father returns from his trip and questions her absence. Finding Sierra at the Christmas Eve party brings back her memories, and her engagement to Tad stops her romance with Jake as she returns to the Belmont Summit Resort.
Despite the events of the Christmas party, the lessons Sierra learned at North Star Lodge have an obvious effect on her. Sierra ends her engagement to Tad, who audiences may recognize from the box office failure Malignant, who quickly gets over it, and finally tells her father she does not want to work in the hotel business. At the same time, Jake races to Sierra to tell her how he feels, and they reunite with Sierra asking to join him and work at the North Star Lodge. The change in Sierra is evident as she makes her own bed and opts for less designer clothing, to help the hotel staff out, and the spoiled heiress personality is dropped for a much more humble one.
Has North Star Lodge Really Been Saved?
The North Star Lodge needed more than just donations to survive. The Lodge had been suffering from multiple cancelations as guests preferred the luxury of hotels like the Belmont Summit Resort, providing Falling For Christmas with a classic Hallmark, and now Netflix Christmas movie trope. The donations would have allowed Jake to keep running North Star Lodge until the end of winter, and avoid closure, but Sierra’s promotion of North Star Lodge causes a flood of reservations. Sierra’s promotion is key to ensuring North Star Lodge has security over the coming years and shows she had more influential power than she thought after Tad and Sierra tried to build her following at the beginning. Also, Sierra implies that her father will be investing in North Star Lodge and a small conversation with him should do it which means Jake will be receiving extra money to run North Star Lodge. The promotion and financial aid mean North Star Lodge will not only survive the winter but be able to sustain itself for many years to come.
Who Is The Chestnut Vendor?
The cast of Falling For Christmas includes a mysterious Chestnut Vendor who looks like Santa Claus. He is never referred to directly and Sierra, Jake, and other characters are oblivious to his involvement in their lives. However, the Chestnut Vendor seems to have some form of magic or secret knowledge, and he is shown granting Avy’s wish to help Jake find love and looks knowingly to the audience. He also appears to sell Sierra a snow globe which reminds her of her mother and is trying to sell a sleigh which is unfortunately too expensive for Jake to buy. The Chestnut Vendor even appears at the end of Falling For Christmas and tells Jake where Sierra is. The Chestnut Vendor most likely is meant to represent Santa, as many Christmas movies include Santa (such as The Christmas Chronicles), which is likely based on his looks, the time of year, and his ability to help Jake and Sierra.
Who was the Sleigh From?
Another mystery in Falling For Christmas was who gifted Jake the new sleigh at the end. Avy had spotted the sleigh earlier in Falling For Christmas at the Christmas markets and Jake had been unable to afford it. However, at the end of Falling For Christmas, the sleigh is anonymously gifted to him, and it helps him reach Sierra before she is meant to leave the Belmont Summit Resort. It could be assumed that Sierra gifted it to them, and now she has her wealth back, but she never admits to it and is surprised when Jake shows up. It’s most likely from the Chestnut Vendor, recognizable from the A24 horror movie Hereditary, as he is helping Jake and Sierra get together and the sleigh was on his friend's booth that he was supposedly looking after.
Does Falling For Christmas Set Up A Sequel?
Falling For Christmas does wrap up a lot of its loose threads, but there is still plenty of room for a sequel. The North Star now has plenty of reservations and funding from the Belmont Summit Resort which opens up a lot of storylines with keeping up with the crowd, especially as Sierra is still learning to be self-sufficient. A Falling For Christmas 2 could follow their new lives at North Star Lodge and there could be plenty of new issues which would also allow Falling For Christmas to be integrated into the Netflix Christmas movie universe. Tad could still feature as being dumped on Christmas day could make him want revenge on Sierra and Jake, and his platform allows him to easily slander North Star Lodge. Plus, the location of North Star Lodge means it is susceptible to any weather threats, or Sierra could be left in charge and have her character tested once again in a sequel to Falling For Christmas.
The Real Meaning of Falling For Christmas
Like many traditional Hallmark-style movies, Falling For Christmas is about love and acceptance. The main plot was about Sierra unlearning her selfish ways and using her position to support people instead of controlling them. Although Sierra is spoiled, she lets others like her father and Tad influence her life and, alongside changing her bad traits, Sierra becomes quite self-empowered which is a much deeper element of her story. Charity plays a huge part in Falling For Christmas, which completed Lindsay Lohan's acting comeback, for the giving aspect of Christmas Sierra really takes in her stead as she helps the housekeepers out by giving them less work. Although in many ways a stereotypical Hallmark-style movie, the Falling For Christmas ending explores a wide range of character growth for Sierra, giving the film as whole a deeper meaning.