Ho, Ho, Ho! You’ll Love These 10 Classic Holiday Sitcom Episodes

The Simpsons, “Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire” (1989)​

The plot: With 33 seasons and counting, America’s favorite yellow family has celebrated many memorable Christmases, but none can match the importance of the sitcom’s very first episode. After Bart (Nancy Cartwright, 64) gets a tattoo, Marge (Julie Kavner, 71) spends the family’s gift budget to get it removed, and Homer (Dan Castellaneta, 64) is forced to take a job as a mall Santa. When he doesn’t make enough cash to buy presents, he drowns his sorrows at the dog track, but he stumbles upon a gift for his family that proves priceless: Santa’s Little Helper, the greyhound who finishes in last place. He’s been an important part of the family ever since.

Heartwarming or hilarious?: Much more heartwarming and hopeful than early critics — ahem, Barbara Bush — gave it credit for.

​Where to watch: “Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire” on Amazon Prime, Disney+, Google Play, YouTube

Don’t miss this: How Well Do You Know Your Christmas Carols?​

The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, “Deck the Halls” (1990)​

The plot: It’s Will’s (Will Smith, 53) first Christmas in Bel-Air, and when he finds out that his cousin Ashley (Tatyana Ali) has never experienced a big family Christmas, he decides to festoon the mansion with all the tacky decorations he can find, from oversized candy canes to blow-up snowmen to every color of garland under the sun. It doesn’t sit well with the Banks’ posh neighbors, including Evander Holyfield, 59, who cameos as himself. In a very ’90s quote, Will tells Ashley, “There is no Milli Vanilli, but there definitely is a Santa Claus!”​

Heartwarming or hilarious?: Hilarious and Holy-filled.

​Where to watch: “Deck the Halls” on Amazon Prime, Apple TV, HBO Max, YouTube

Rugrats, “A Rugrats Chanukah” (1996)​

The plot: Should you, a grownup, really spend your precious time watching an episode of a ’90s Nickelodeon cartoon about talking babies? The short answer: Definitely! For starters, the episode offers a surprisingly accurate account of the Hanukkah story and the rise of the “Maccababies,” with fun tidbits about holiday traditions. Did you know, for instance, that Jews eat latkes and doughnuts as a nod to the miracle of the oil during the first Hanukkah? Keep your ears peeled for some fun voiceover cameos, including Fyvush Finkel as Grandpa Boris’ synagogue rival Shlomo and Ron Leibman as the rabbi.

Heartwarming or hilarious?: Hilarious, with tons of great sight gags, including a pop-up-book version of the Torah scroll in the babies’ retelling. ​

Where to watch: “A Rugrats Chanukah” on Amazon Prime, Paramount+, YouTube

Seinfeld, “The Strike” (1997)​

The plot: You might have thought that this final-season episode birthed the holiday of Festivus, but it actually predates the sitcom by about three decades. Writer Dan O’Keefe’s father, Daniel Sr., came up with the celebration as early as 1966! In the Seinfeld-iverse, the inventor is Frank Costanza (Jerry Stiller), who envisioned the Dec. 23 holiday “for the rest of us” as a noncommercial alternative to Christmas, replacing the decorated tree with a naked aluminum pole and roping his family into activities like the Airing of Grievances and Feats of Strength.

Heartwarming or hilarious?: Hilarious — and very quotable. ​

Where to watch: “The Strike” on Amazon Prime, Apple TV, Google Play, Netflix, YouTube

Don’t miss this: Lifetime Is Releasing 35 New Movies This Holiday Season — Here Are the Ones Not to Miss

Friends, “The One With the Holiday Armadillo” (2000)​

The plot: Friends really made a feast out of its Thanksgiving offerings, but that doesn’t mean the NBC hit didn’t churn out some must-see winter holiday episodes as well. In this Season 7 outing, Ross (David Schwimmer, 55) sets out to teach his son, Ben (Cole Sprouse), about Hanukkah, but when Ben expresses concern that Santa won’t pay him a visit, Ross decides to rent a red suit and play St. Nick himself. The only problem? They’re sold out across New York. Instead, all he can find is a giant armadillo costume, and he introduces himself as “Santa’s representative for all the Southern states — and Mexico!” When Ross tells Ben he’s part Jewish, Monica quips, “Because armadillos also wandered in the desert?”​

Heartwarming or hilarious?: A bit of both. Ross is always at his most charming when he’s being a great dad. ​

Where to watch: “The One With the Holiday Armadillo” on Amazon Prime, Apple TV, Google Play, HBO Max, YouTube

The Office, “Christmas Party” (2005)​

The plot: Like so many of the best episodes of The Office, this Season 2 entry starts with a mundane premise and spins it into ever-more-frenzied chaos. The employees of Dunder Mifflin are tasked with buying a $20 Secret Santa gift, and our crew has varying levels of success. Jim (John Krasinski), of course, nails the assignment, getting Pam (Jenna Fischer) a teapot filled with mementos and a personal letter. But when Michael (Steve Carell, 59) is disappointed by the homemade oven mitt from Phyllis (Phyllis Smith, 70), he blows up the rules of the game and turns it into a no-holds-barred Yankee swap, with nearly everyone competing for the rule-breaking $400 iPod Michael bought Ryan (B.J. Novak). ​

Heartwarming or hilarious?: Hilarious, but the budding romance of Pam and Jim brings the requisite awwws.

Where to watch: “Christmas Party” on Amazon Prime, Apple TV, Google Play, Peacock

Community, “Abed’s Uncontrollable Christmas” (2010)​

The plot: This cult NBC sitcom usually operates on a pretty high level of sarcasm, but it takes a hefty dose of sincerity to pull off an episode like this one, a loving ode to and gentle spoof of retro Rankin/Bass stop-motion-animated holiday specials. As the big day approaches, Abed (Danny Pudi) wakes up to discover that the other members of his study group have been transformed into Claymation figures, and he sets out to discover the true meaning of the holiday, with the help of the Christmas Wizard, aka psychology professor Ian Duncan (John Oliver). ​​“The meaning of Christmas,” Abed later realizes, “is the idea that Christmas has meaning. And it can mean whatever we want.”​

Heartwarming or hilarious?: Hilarious, but it will definitely make you miss watching those vintage holiday specials. ​

Where to watch: “Abed’s Uncontrollable Christmas” on Amazon Prime, Apple TV, Google Play, Hulu, Netflix, YouTube

Nicholas DeRenzo is a contributing writer who covers entertainment and travel. Previously he was executive editor of United Airlines’ Hemispheres magazine and his work has appeared in the New York Times, Conde Nast Traveler, Travel & Leisure, Sunset and New York magazine.