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The inclusion of Christmas and other holiday episodes is a significant factor in the immense popularity of well-known sitcoms such as Friends, The Big Bang Theory, How I Met Your Mother, and Brooklyn Nine-Nine. These episodes are incredibly memorable and often feature heartwarming moments between the show's central characters.
As such, below listed are some of the best Christmas episodes from a few sitcoms that have managed to capture the essence and warmth of the holiday season through humor and drama. Over the years, these holiday-themed episodes have not only become classics to audiences but have turned into a tradition that fans rewatch to heighten the festive vibe in the comfort of their home.
7 outstanding Christmas episodes from popular sitcoms that one should definitely watch
1) The One With the Holiday Armadillo (S7E10 of Friends)
Friends is the ultimate feel-good sitcom that is best known for its epic holiday episodes. Whether it's Thanksgiving or Christmas, fans know that Friends will be there for them.
Over its long 10-season run, the sitcom has aired a number of incredible holiday episodes that feature Phoebe's iconic holiday song, Monica, Monica, have a happy Hanukkah, Please tell Joey, that Christmas will be snowy!, Ross and Monica's famous dance routine, and the battle between Santa and the Holiday Armadillo.
As it is, the best Christmas episode from Friends is The One With the Holiday Armadillo, which follows Ross' attempts to teach his son Ben about the joys of Hanukkah. Unfortunately, a shortage at the costume store leads him to dress up as the Holiday Armadillo, while Chandler dresses up as Santa, and Joey makes a last-minute entrance as Superman. Together, they almost steal Ross' thunder.
2) The Bath Item Gift Hypothesis (S2E11 of The Big Bang Theory)
The Big Bang Theory is one of the most popular sitcoms with a successful 12-year run. The series' best Christmas episode is The Bath Item Gift Hypothesis, where Penny gives Sheldon an autographed napkin from Leonard Nimoy that reads, “To Sheldon, Live Long and Prosper,” which was used by the actor as a gift.
Sheldon, who is obsessed with the actor who played Spock in the Star Trek franchise, is overwhelmed as he can now grow his own clone using the actor’s DNA. To show his appreciation, Sheldon also gives Penny a hug, which is a rare occurrence for the physicist. The episode proved that the duo had one of the most precious friendships.
Meanwhile, Leonard becomes jealous of Penny's new handsome physicist boyfriend.
3) Yippie Kayak (S03E10 of Brooklyn Nine-Nine)
Brooklyn Nine-Nine is known for its brilliant running gags, hilarious cold opens, and an excellent ensemble cast. Although the police procedural sitcom had few Christmas-themed episodes, they turned out to be the most memorable and featured some of the most heartwarming moments in the entire series, including holiday heists and taking pictures for cards.
The sitcom's best holiday episode is Yippie Kayak, where Jake gets to live out his Die Hard dreams when a store is overtaken by a gang of criminals during Christmas. The episode contains action, adventure, hostage situations, comedy, and several Die Hard references.In addition, Boyle saves the day and pays homage to John McTiernan's film by butchering one of its most memorable quotes and saying, “Yippie kayak other buckets.” At one point, Gina also uses her lighter like a flamethrower.
Meanwhile, Terry’s family is irked when he is forced to leave them to save Jake, Boyle, and Gina. Amy tries to prove she’s just as tough as Holt and Rosa by partaking in a swimming challenge in the Atlantic Ocean in December.
4) The Final Page - Part Two (S8E12 of How I Met your Mother)
The best Christmas episode of How I Met your Mother is The Final Page - Part Two. In this episode, Ted's new building finally opens, and he has to continue to keep Barney's secret about proposing to Patrice. Lily and Marshall finally get a night away as Lily's dad watches the baby, but the night falls apart as Ted can't keep the secret any longer.
The fantastic episode comes to an end with an emotional scene featuring Robin and Barney on top of the World Wide News building, where he reveals the final play from the playbook and proposes to her. He reveals that dating Patrice, Robin's jealousy, Ted spilling the beans about the proposal, were all part of this elaborate plan.
5) Express Christmas (S3E10 of Modern Family)
Each Christmas episode of Modern Family is diverse because of the series' large family, where each member has varying traditions and beliefs. The best holiday episode of the sitcom is the first Xmas episode called Express Christmas, where the family realizes that they won't be able to celebrate the special day together. So, they decide to create an express Christmas Day to be together before the special day.
The hilarious episode ends with the family's individual misadventures culminating in disaster and chaos and the entire idea failing miserably. The highlight of the episode is Phil trying to get Jay a rare baseball card as the perfect gift. Unfortunately, the card is destroyed when Phil is accidentally tasered.
6) Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire (S01EP1 of The Simpsons)
The Simpsons is one of the longest-running series in television history, and the best Christmas episode is the very first episode that started the show called Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire. The episode features a wide variety of holiday traditions that every family can relate to, including a school musical performance, visiting Santa at the mall, and a boss akin to Mr. Scrooge.
The episode ends with the Simpson family rescuing a dog from the Springfield Downs racetrack and naming him Santa's Little Helper, thereby introducing the family dog that has been a mainstay on the series ever since. The heartwarming episode is an excellent example of why The Simpsons is still popular.
7) The First No L (S19E9 of Family Guy)
Family Guy has become a cultural phenomenon, with many of Peter Griffin and his family's hijinks taking place during the holidays. The best Christmas episode of the show is The First No L, where Lois finally gets fed up with everyone after they fail to get ready for the special day. She pretends to go to Cabo for the holiday, leaving the rest of the family to deal with the day on their own.
In reality, Lois stays at a local hotel to spy on them, and when she sees they are finally doing all the things she wanted them to do when she was there, the matriarch gets angry and decides to ruin their holiday in the classic Grinch style. In the end, though her heart grows three times in size and she winds up in the hospital, she manages to teach them all a lesson about respecting what she does for the family.
Don't forget to check out these best holiday episodes from the most popular sitcoms that remind the audience why it is important to celebrate the holidays with family, friends, or co-workers.
