7 greatest Christmas episodes in television history

Christmas episodes hit different when you are curled up on the couch in December. There is something unique about watching your favourite characters celebrate the festival you care about with you! These wholesome episodes take a break from the general storylines to deliver pure seasonal joy. However, what separates the good ones from the truly memorable?

The best Christmas episodes know how to tug at your heartstrings. They've got the laughs, tears, and that cozy feeling you can't quite describe. You throw one on while decorating the tree or avoiding your relatives. They become part of holiday traditions, and these episodes capture why we fell in love with these shows all those years ago.

Television has dropped countless holiday gems over the decades. Some crack you up until your stomach hurts. Others get you teary-eyed over fictional characters. The really special ones pull off both tricks. So, which episodes have earned their spot as all-time greats? Which ones do folks revisit every single December without question?

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Why do Christmas episodes matter?

Shows walk a tightrope during December. They've gotta be festive without ditching their core identity. The trick is letting characters stay true to themselves while letting it snow around them.

Great Christmas episodes throw familiar faces into new chaos. We see them scramble through gift shopping nightmares, survive awkward family meals, and crack under seasonal stress. These moments land hard because we've lived our own versions of the same disasters.

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The Office Christmas party

The Office absolutely crushed it with Season 2, Episode 10, "Christmas Party." What started as a basic Secret Santa exchange spiraled into a beautiful disaster. Michael Scott fixated on getting one particular gift and dragged everyone into the mess.

This one resonates because we've been there. Those company holiday parties where everyone pretends to have fun. The uncomfortable silences. The passive-aggressive gift swaps. The show captured those universal experiences and amplified them until they reached a crescendo.

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Friends and the holiday armadillo

Ross in that Holiday Armadillo costume remains legendary. Season 7, Episode 10, "The One with the Holiday Armadillo," tackles a real struggle parents face. How do you honor multiple traditions when your kid only cares about presents from Santa?

Ross wanted Ben to learn about Hanukkah. Ben enjoyed the North Pole magic. The absurd costume "solution" had us rolling. Beyond the comedy, though, there's truth here about families mixing cultures and building something new together. The holidays morph over time, just like relationships do.

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The Bear's family gathering

Season 2, Episode 6, "Fishes," from The Bear takes an entirely different direction. This Christmas episode doesn't sugarcoat anything. The family dinner plays out like a pressure cooker ready to blow, and you feel trapped right there with them.

Carmy's backstory unfolds through incredible acting and unbearable tension. Not all holiday gatherings involve laughter and love. This episode respects that reality. Sometimes the rawest storytelling comes from showing what people would rather hide.

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Community's musical tribute

Community swung for the fences with Season 3, Episode 10, "Regional Holiday Music." This Christmas episode roasted Glee mercilessly while dropping genuinely catchy tunes. The show managed to both mock and celebrate holiday absurdity simultaneously.

Each character shone through their ridiculous musical number. The episode struck a delicate balance between satire and sweetness. You can recognize how silly traditions in Christmas episodes are while still embracing every bit of that silliness.

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The West Wing's emotional depth

Nobody expected a political drama to deliver on Christmas, yet The West Wing crushed Season 2, Episode 10, "Noël." The episode tackled PTSD and mental health head-on. Josh Lyman fell apart, and his friends caught him before he hit bottom.

This proves that Christmas episodes can tackle heavy topics. Christmas carols triggered Josh's trauma instead of joy in this Christmas episode. His colleagues rallied around him anyway. The season's actual meaning lives in those moments when people show up for each other.

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Ted Lasso's feel-good spirit

Ted Lasso delivered straight-up warmth in Season 2, Episode 4, "Carol of the Bells." Sure, the show can be saccharine at times, but Christmas is the perfect excuse for that energy.

Classic holiday movie references pop up everywhere, plus Hannah Waddingham belts out an incredible performance in this Christmas episode.

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The most significant Christmas episodes become traditions in their own right, pulling us back year after year to relive the magic.