Tis the season!
Snowy days, cozy blankets, days off, a fire crackling in the fire place, the smell of pine in the air…
Christmas has a feel to it that no other holiday does. It truly is the most wonderful time of the year!
In honor of this sacred holiday, I’ve gathered 25 of the most memorable Christmas episodes on TV. Some are funny and make you laugh; some are heartfelt and leave you comforted; and some are terrifying and make you glad you weren’t there.
I’ve recommended 25 episodes so you can watch one every day leading up to Christmas. If anyone actually does this, please let me know because that would be awesome! Otherwise, feel free to skip around or just pick and choose.
One more thing, there are bound to be Christmas episodes you think are missing so definitely let me know in the comments.
Now, enjoy reliving the Christmas memories of your favorite TV friends and family!
1.
Dec. 1st: “The Bracebridge Dinner” – Gilmore Girls
We begin with Gilmore Girls since I know most of you are going through withdrawals after binge watching season 8 in one day. On this episode, Lorelai and Sookie plan an elaborate meal only to lose their guests when they’re snowed in so they decide to invite the town instead. Throughout the beautifully decorated festivities, Rory pretends she’s not interested in Jess, Luke pretends he’s not interested in Lorelai, and Lorelai’s parents get a much needed mini-vacation. You can watch the full episode on Netflix.
2.
Dec. 2nd: “Santa Simulation” – The Big Bang Theory
It was hard to pick just one Christmas episode from The Big Bang Theory but this is my favorite because it has a girls night out, Raj and Amy sharing hilarious horror stories of dealing with the opposite sex and a soft side of Sheldon. On this episode, the guys plan a Christmas themed Dungeons and Dragons game where Santa is kidnapped. When the girls learn they’re not allowed to play they get dressed up to show the guys what they’re missing and go out for drinks. Raj ends up tagging along which provides some of the funniest moments of the episode. During the game, we learn that Sheldon hates Christmas because he asked Santa to bring his Pop Pop back from the dead when he was 5 and all he got was lincoln logs. You can watch the full episode on CBS All Access.
3.
Dec. 3rd: “The Strike” – Seinfeld
A Festivus for the rest of us! Kramer wants to resurrect the forgotten holiday which George’s dad invented as an alternative to the commercialism of Christmas. We also find out Kramer’s been on strike for 12 years and finally goes back to work at a bagel shop only to go on strike again when they refuse to give him time off for Festivus. Elsewhere on the episode, Elaine is trying to track down a guy she gave a fake number to because she accidently wrote it on the back of her free sub card and George creates a fake charity so he doesn’t have to give Christmas gifts to his co-workers. It’s a classic Seinfeld episode and one of the best of its last season. You can watch the full episode on Hulu.
4.
Dec. 4th: “A Very Sunny Christmas” – It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia
Dennis and Dee are their usual whiny, entitled selves as they complain that Frank buys the presents they want and keeps them for himself. This year it’s a Lamborghini and a designer purse. Charlie and Mac reminisce about their childhoods which turn out to be horrific as Charlie discovers his mom was banging multiple “Santas” and Mac’s family was breaking into other people’s houses and stealing their presents. As usual the group is at their worst and it’s awesome. Uplifting? No. Heartfelt? Not at all. The episode ends with them throwing rocks at trains because it’s really the only thing they have left to hold onto. You can watch the full episode on Hulu or Netflix.
5.
Dec. 5th: “Christmas in the Car” – Bob’s Burgers
This episode reminds me so much of 2001’s Joy Ride. The Belchers head out on Christmas Eve to get a new tree after their first two die. While out, they cut off the driver of a candy cane truck who responds by chasing them. In their attempts to avoid him they end up spending Christmas Eve and the first few hours of Christmas in the car. Meanwhile, back at their house, Teddy stops by to turn off the oven and ends up stealing the episode. You can find current episodes of Bob’s Burgers on Fox Now.
6.
Dec. 6th: “The Best Chrismukkah Ever” – The OC
This episode will always be remembered for Summer’s gift to Seth — her in a Wonder Woman outfit. I mean, DAMN. The girl looked amazing. Anna was great but we all knew she didn’t stand a chance. Although Seth was forced to pick between the two girls, he will never have to choose between his mother’s waspy Christmas and his dad’s Jewish Hannukah because he created the best holiday ever – Chrismukkah. Eight days of presents followed by one day of many presents. The fact that it was Ryan’s first Christmas with the Cohens only made it that much more special. You can watch the full episode on Hulu.