Christmas is a time for family, cheer, love, and warmth. It also just happens to be the perfect excuse to rewatch your favorite TV episodes for the umpteenth time. To help guide you steadily through your binge-watch, we’ve compiled a list of ten iconic Christmas episodes. A laugh, a cry, an anxiety attack — we’ll help get you prepped for the 25th.
Trigger Warning: This article contains mentions of Satanism and toxic family dynamics. Please exercise personal care when reading.
The Office: Christmas Party
Season two, episode 10 is the first time The Office graced us with a Christmas episode. Christmas Party centers around a disastrous gift exchange that had a cap of $20, which some people didn’t abide by (Michael), leading others to feel slighted (Michael). When Michael throws a tantrum over the handmade oven mitt Phyllis knitted him, he turns the exchange into a Yankee Swap. Jim’s specialized gift for Pam is passed to Dwight, and the office gets into a fight over the ridiculously expensive iPod Michael initially got for Ryan.
The Simpsons: Simpsons Roasting On An Open Fire
This one’s for my dad, who definitely declared The Simpsons’ first Christmas special, Simpsons Roasting On An Open Fire, as the best Christmas episode of any show, period. Christmas is in jeopardy at the Simpsons’: Bart gets a tattoo and Lisa uses her savings to get it removed, while Homer works as Santa at a department store to earn money for presents, and tries to hide it from the family. The episode ends with a tug at the heartstrings when the family finds and adopts their beloved greyhound, whom they name Santa’s Little Helper. The episode that launched the Simpsons’ empire is the perfect way to kick off the holidays.
Community: Abed’s Uncontrollable Christmas
The claymation style of some of the most beloved Christmas movies of all time meets the ridiculousness of Community, bringing us Abed’s Uncontrollable Christmas, episode 11 of season two. When Abed experiences a mental breakdown, he begins to see the world as a stop-motion animation. His friends play along with the delusion in an attempt to help and journey through his new world with him to discover the true meaning of Christmas.
SpongeBob SquarePants: Christmas Who?
Bringing it back to our childhood with the iconic Christmas Who? episode from season two of SpongeBob SquarePants. When Sandy introduces SpongeBob to Christmas for the first time, he spreads the joyous news and traditions to the rest of Bikini Bottom. After decking out the town, Bikini Bottom residents go to sleep on Christmas Eve giddy for the following morning, but Santa never comes. A heartbroken SpongeBob is unexpectedly cheered up by the skeptical Squidward, who turns out not to be a Scrooge after all. SpongeBob has tons of Christmas hits — if you want more stop-motion nostalgia, check out It’s A SpongeBob Christmas.
Friends: The One Where Rachel Quits
Friends is a go-to sitcom when you’re looking for an easy laugh and some holiday cheer. In The One Where Rachel Quits, Christmas is around the corner, but Rachel’s struggling to feel cheer. When Gunther tells Rachel she’ll have to retrain as a waitress to keep her job at Central Perk, she quits to pursue a job in the fashion industry, but soon regrets it when she realizes chasing her dreams isn’t as easy as it sounds. Meanwhile, Ross feels guilty after accidentally breaking a Girl Scout’s leg (future star Mae Whitman), so he starts selling her cookies for her to win a trip to Space Camp. Phoebe is devastated when she sees Joey selling Christmas trees, insisting they feel the pain, and Joey works with Monica to win her forgiveness.
South Park: Woodland Critter Christmas
If you’re looking for dark humor to offset the holiday cheer, look no further than South Park. Season eight, episode 14, Woodland Critter Christmas, starts wholesomely, as so many Christmas specials do, with adorable woodland creatures preparing for the festivities. Stan Marsh is roped into helping them make a star for their tree, but in the middle of the night, he is awakened by the animals, who tell him the Porcupine is pregnant with the creature’s savior. Stan begrudgingly agrees to help. Their motives are soon revealed to be less pure than expected: They’re Satanists and are preparing for the birth of the anti-Christ.
The Bear: Fishes
For those of us preparing for a complicated Christmas with a complicated family, Fishes is a swan song and hopefully one of some comfort: It’s unlikely your Christmas will be as disastrous as this one. Season two, episode six of The Bear takes us back before the Berzatto family, and Carmy in particular, were devastated by Mikey’s passing. One of the best guest star ensembles in recent memory (Jamie Lee Curtis as Donna, Sarah Paulson as Michelle, John Mulaney as Stevie, Bob Odenkirk as Uncle Lee, and, of course, Jon Bernthal’s towering performance as Mikey) created one of the most believable and anxiety-inducing family dynamics on screen. As Donna cooks the seven fishes for their Christmas dinner, the Berzattos begin to boil over.
Gilmore Girls: The Bracebridge Dinner
In response to the Berzatto family further sowing their divide, let’s turn to a family trying to build a bridge instead: the Gilmores. The feel-good show’s The Bracebridge Dinner, season two, episode 10, is one of the most beloved episodes of the series. When a snowstorm prevents the guests of a lavish, 19th-century themed feast from attending, Lorelai invites all of Stars Hollow to join in on the festivities. Adorned in Renaissance outfits and enjoying a night of food, music, and community cheer, that Stars Hollow world melds with the elite world of the Gilmores when Emily and Richard show up.
New Girl: The 23rd
New Girl’s first season graced us with the perfect Christmas episode: The 23rd. Jess struggles to find the perfect gift for her new boyfriend, Paul, and ends up going the safe route, giving him a gag gift. When Paul’s gift carries a weighted “I love you” along with it, Jess begins to rethink their relationship. The group heads to Schmidt’s office Christmas party, where he’s forced to be “Sexy Santa”, with a ticking clock in the back — Nick can’t miss his flight home to his family at the end of the night. Feelings, and the lack thereof, get brought to light, and Jess’s holiday spirit has been squashed. Unable to see her down, Nick blows off the airport and brings the group to Jess’s favorite holiday tradition: Candycane Lane.
Modern Family: The Last Christmas
Picking the best Christmas episode of Modern Family is certainly a task, but ultimately, they saved the best for last. In The Last Christmas, episode nine of Modern Family’s final season, tensions are running high when the families meet at Cam, who’s working overtime for the perfect gathering, and Mitchell’s. Claire is avoiding Jay, Alex discovers a secret about Gloria that affects Phil, Luke betrays Manny, Mitchell suspects that Cam is keeping something from him, and Haley has finally stopped breastfeeding, is drinking freely, and is stirring up the drama. Hilarious with a soulful punch, this episode proves nobody does family like Modern Family.
Christmas episodes remind us to laugh, to love, and they assure us that we’re not the only ones who can simultaneously adore our families and want to shove them up a chimney. When the holidays can suddenly feel too much, our favorite shows can remind us of Christmas’s cliche but “true” meaning: togetherness, love, joy, and hope. These are just some of the many iconic Christmas episodes out there; make sure to tell us on Instagram what gems we’ve left out.
Get in the spirit with a Christmas romance reading recommendation here.
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