As we move further and further into the festive season, people are once again taking to social media to discuss the minimal details of a Christmas movie that was released more than 30 years ago.
Yes, it's December, and that means we're all wearing our ugliest Christmas jumpers, avoiding the in-laws, and - of course - rewatching the beloved Home Alone movies. (Just the first two... the rest are questionable at best.)
And despite the fact we've all seen Macaulay Culkin's lovable Kevin McCallister foil the plans of Harry and Marv countless times, some viewers are only just realizing the truth about how Kevin came to be left home alone in the first place.
You see, although Kevin's family quickly established themselves as the absolute worst relatives in the world, even flying to Paris without one of their kids seems too much - even for them. But it turns out there is a perfectly good reason why Kevin was missed...
On the morning of their flight, the family accidentally sleeps in, and in the chaotic rush to get to the airport, Kevin is left behind in the attic. Kevin's mom doesn't realize he's missing until the family is on the flight, and his parents struggle to fly straight home due to the busy time of the year. Additionally, a storm on their street results in the phone lines being down - meaning they can't call Kevin and he can't call the cops.
However, why didn't the family clock that Kevin wasn't with them when they got to the airport? Surely they had a ticket ready and waiting for him? Well, no, actually. The real reason is actually a blink-and-you'll-miss-it moment:
You see, at the start of the movie, Kevin gets into a fight with his big brother, Buzz, and during their scuffle, a load of drinks are spilled, soaking the family's passports and tickets.
As Kevin's father hurries to clean the spillage with red napkins, he accidentally throws a plane ticket in the trash - and that plane ticket has 'Kevin' written on it in Sharpie.
However, it appears as if the crucial detail has been missed by many viewers over the years, and some people are only just realizing that this is the true reason why Kevin was left 'home alone' in the first place. Here are just some of the people who have taken to social media this month to voice their amazement over this important detail.
One X (formerly known as Twitter) user wrote: "How am I just realizing that At the beginning of Home Alone when the milk gets spilled by Kevin fighting with his brother that his plane tickets get thrown in the trash along with the napkins, which is one of the reasons that nobody realizes sooner that he’s missing."
Another astonished social media user wrote: "I have watched Home Alone every Christmas (and a few times in between) since I was about ten, for about 23-ish years (started with the VHS).
"I was today years old when I realized that Kevin's passport and ticket accidentally get tossed in the trash amid the milk/pizza disaster."
And a third wrote: "Did you know that in HOME ALONE... Peter cleans up the mess, then accidentally throws Kevin's plane ticket in the trash. That's why airport check-in never suspects a missing passenger."
So, there you have it. The answer to a question many of you probably never even asked because you were too busy enjoying the movie. But, it's nice to know just how far the writers went to ensure that Kevin's parents didn't look 100% incompetent.
You could say that splitting hairs over our Christmas classics is becoming somewhat of a tradition itself.