Sure, when it comes to festive entertainment, most people reach for a Christmas movie. And while they can be fun, heartfelt, and memorable, there’s something extra special about a holiday episode of one of our favorite TV shows. Why?
Part of it has to do with the long connection we have with our favorite TV characters. After dozens of episodes of “New Girl,” “The Office,” or “Parks and Recreation,” we build a bond with the characters that can’t be matched by movie characters. And then the arrival of Christmas can really shake up an office, friend group, or family. You have family members visiting, intensely important parties and dinners, and – quite frequently – a romantic plot involving snow, thoughtful presents, or mistletoe. So Christmas episodes often end up full of iconic guest stars, memorable blow ups, and lots of shenanigans. And more than one features an iconic romantic moment that still has us kicking out legs or a perfectly sentimental moment that made us cry.
Ahead, we rounded up 20 of our favorite Christmas episodes. Some shows, like “30 Rock,” “Community,” and “Bob’s Burgers,” made Christmas episodes an annual tradition, so we limited our picks to one episode from each series. These are the best Christmas TV episodes, a perfect holiday guaranteed.
– Additional reporting by Maggie Boyle and Victoria Edel
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"Gilmore Girls": "Forgiveness and Stuff"
“Gilmore Girls,” despite its love of fall and winter, never goes that over the top on Christmas episodes. This entry, from season one, holds a special place in our hearts because it’s really the start of Lorelei’s way back to her family. It’s also the first time we see the bond between her and Luke, as he rushes her to Richard’s bedside after he collapses. With this one episode begins the most aggressive shipping campaign in the history of television. Oh, and there’s a Santa-shaped hamburger. So . . . totally worth it.
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"Parks and Recreation": "Citizen Knope"
“Parks and Recreation”‘s best Christmas episode is “Citizen Knope,” when Leslie, on leave for her inappropriate workplace relationship with Ben, has to stay away from the office. With her gone, the rest of the gang teams together to figure out the perfect Christmas gift to give her. Their ultimate choice – a gingerbread office – is amazingly great and heart-warming. Pair a rewatch with the episode before it – “The Trial of Leslie Knope” – for a perfect winter-themed arc.
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"Friends": "The Holiday Armadillo"
In this iconic episode, Ross tries to introduce his toddler son Ben to the idea of Hanukkah, who’s only interested in Christmas. When he goes to a costume store in search of a Santa suit, he finds they’re all out of stock, and resorts to a “holiday armadillo” costume instead. Things escalate when Chandler shows up in a Santa suit and steals Ross’s holiday spoylight, followed by Joey in a Superman suit.
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"Grey's Anatomy": "Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer"
Reminisce on the old “Grey”‘s seasons with the very first holiday episode of the series. Back when Alex, Meredith, Izzy, and George all lived in Meredith’s house together, Izzy decks the halls with holiday spirit, even getting the dark and twisty sisters Meredith and Cristina to participate in the holiday fun.
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"New Girl": "Santa"
We love a good holiday with the “New Girl” gang, and this episode doesn’t disappoint. As the mid-season finale, mayhem ensues at a Christmas party, and we see some revelations between Schmidt and CeCe, as well as with Jess and Sam, and get a slightly off-tune rendition of “O Come, All Ye Faithful.”
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"Gossip Girl": "A Very 'Gossip Girl' Christmas"
This episode showcases Blair’s complicated relationship with her parents when her dad shows up from Paris for the holidays with his boyfriend and leaves Blair feeling like a third wheel. Meanwhile, Vanessa surprises Dan with the news that she submitted his writing to the New Yorker, while Serena got him a flashy watch that he doesn’t accept. Serena remembers Dan’s wish for a white Christmas and makes him his own winter wonderland, cementing their romance.
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"The Bear": "Fishes"
When “The Bear” season two was released this summer, no one expected a Christmas episode. And yet, we got “Fishes” – an hour-long look at a holiday five years before the show’s main storyline takes place. Carmy, his sister Sugar, and his brother Michael spend a very chaotic Christmas Eve with their family, which is full of iconic guest stars. Two standouts include Jamie Lee Curtis as their often-horrifying mom and Bob Odenkirk as a bumbling uncle. The story shines light on the siblings’ complicated relationship with each other (and with the restaurant), but it’s also an extremely intense and stressful hour of television.
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"Bob's Burgers": "The Plight Before Christmas"
“Bob’s Burgers” is another show that loves to do Christmas episodes, but 2022’s entry, “The Plight Before Christmas,” will absolutely make you cry. In it, all three Belcher kids have Christmas events at the same time. Gene is performing in a holiday concert, Tina is performing in a pageant, and Louise is reading a poem she wrote at the library. Bob and Linda try to figure out how to do all three, but it seems no one will end up attending Louise’s event – until big sister Tina steps up. It all comes together for one of the most gorgeous moments in the show’s history.
Apple
"Ted Lasso": "Carol of the Bells"
“Ted Lasso” did one Christmas episode in season two, and it gives us a bevy of Christmas movie references as the AFC Richmond gang celebrates the greatest time of the year. Higgins hosts some of the team for dinner; Roy, Keeley, and Phoebe go on a “Love Actually”-themed journey; and Ted and Rebecca try to spread holiday cheer. And at the end, we get Hannah Waddingham’s stunning vocals as everyone sings and dances along.
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"Lost": "The Constant"
“The Constant” is the best episode of “Lost” and it happens to have a lot of Christmas in it. Desmond’s consciousness is traveling through time, and unless he can make contact with his ex Penny, he’ll die. It all ends in a Christmas phone call that always makes us cry, and Penny learns Desmond’s alive and Desmond learns she never stopped looking for him.
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"The West Wing": "Noël"
“Noël,” a season two episode of “The West Wing,” comes at a tense time. At the start of the season, the White House was targeted by a terrorist, and Josh Lyman was shot. In the months since, everyone is trying to put it all behind them, but Josh just can’t. It leads to one of the series’s most emotional moments; plus, the (fake) White House is just gorgeous in its Christmas splendor.
