One of the best parts of the holiday season is the entertainment. From holiday inspired soundtracks to cheesy seasonal romances, we all look forward to the winter takeover when December rolls around.
An overlooked, slightly underrated aspect of this is holiday specials. Themed episodes of your favorite sitcoms and dramas are sure to put you right in the holiday spirit. These seasonal shows combine your year-round love for the show with your month-long infatuation with all-things holidays. It’s a perfect way to add some holiday magic to everyday life.
Not to mention, who wouldn’t want to see their favorite fictional characters embark on themed adventures? There’s nothing like the holidays to bring people together — both on-screen and off. You can laugh and sip hot chocolate with your loved ones in front of the TV, just as you watch them do the same.
Below I’ve compiled five of my favorite holiday specials. I love to rewatch these each year, even long after I’ve finished the show. Holiday specials are the perfect excuse to fall right back into your favorite show, all while staying on-theme during the best time of the year.
Friends “The One With the Holiday Armadillo” (Season 7, episode 10)
If you know me, then you know that Friends is my favorite show of all time. For me, it’s the kind of show that I watch on a rainy Monday in need of something to smile about.
The Holiday Armadillo is a famous joke from the show. It’s such an absurd concept, but it’s also perfectly hilarious. It comes from Ross wanting to teach his young son, Ben, about his Jewish heritage. He fears Ben has been only exposed to Christmas traditions. When Ross tries to steer Ben more towards Hanukkah, he also feels guilty for depriving him of half of his celebrations. He plans to rent a Christmas suit to combine the two holidays for his son, but the store is sold out of everything. This leads to him renting an armadillo costume, which he calls “Santa’s Tex-Mex friend.” He teaches Ben about Jewish traditions until Chandler comes in in a Santa costume to help him out.
All in all, the episode is filled with cheeky holiday humor and some real, insightful knowledge about traditions. There are also side stories with Joey, Rachel and Phoebe to keep the infamous Friends spirit alive.
The Office “Christmas Party” (Season 2, episode 10)
The Office is another one of my comfort shows. Its unconventional kind of humor is unappealing to many but beloved by most.
This episode, in the earlier seasons, centers Michael and one of his ridiculous ideas. The office holds a “Secret Santa” gift exchange at their Christmas party. Some of the gifts are sweet and sentimental — like Jim’s meaningful gift to his crush, Pam. Some are out of pocket — like Michael’s extremely expensive gift to Ryan. Overall, Michael becomes bored with the exchange and switches up the rules. Suddenly, Secret Santa has become a “Yankee Swap,” where any gift can be stolen. This ruins the staff’s mood, so Michael comes up with yet another (ridiculous) idea: alcohol! Going against office policy, he buys vodka, and the party becomes out of hand.
This episode is pure fun and all ridiculousness — just like most of The Office. It shows some character dynamic, such as the romance blooming between Jim and Pam. There are holiday references and fun office decorations to put you in the spirit. It’s the perfect way to bring a little humor to the holidays.
New Girl “The 23rd” (Season 1, episode 9)
And, yet another of my all-time favorites. I finished New Girl a few months ago, and I’d do anything to rewatch it for the first time. My two best friends and I recite Schmidt and Nick all day long. The dynamic between Jess and the roommates is too good.
This episode is only the first season, but it already feels as if the characters have known each other forever. It’s their first holiday season together, and Schmidt is angry because his friends always go home to Chicago. Before this, though, they all planned on going to Schmidt’s office party. They’re amused to see that when they get there, Schmidt is in red boxers and calls himself “Sexy Santa.” In his office (of all girls and him), he asks them what they want as they sit on his lap. He then uses their drunken answers against them, manipulating his way to the top.
Besides Schmidt’s iconic sexy Santa, there are side stories with him and CeCe, Jess and her boyfriend Paul, Winston and Nick. The episode is fun and silly but also in sync with the rest of the season.
Glee “A Very Glee Christmas” (Season 2, episode 10)
I felt like I couldn’t make a list of holiday specials without Glee. I haven’t watched the show in years — not since it’s been on the air — but I listen to the holiday soundtracks all the time.
There are seven holiday songs in this episode — some of which are from How The Grinch Stole Christmas! The episode itself centers a messy Secret Santa exchange and some relationship troubles among the group. Sue dresses as the Grinch (fitting), and her favorite cheerleader and trusted sidekick Becky dresses as Max. Just like a regular episode, Sue deceives the gang and tries to sabotage Will’s glee club by taking their gifts. It’s a cheesy plotline to contradict the more troubling storylines between Rachel and Finn, as well as Brittany and Archie. Rachel had cheated on Finn with his best friend, and their relationship is in shambles. Brittany wants to ask Santa to help Archie walk again, and it’s left to Archie to explain to her that this can’t be done. It’s a very real, heartfelt rendition of the holiday season, coupled with beautiful songs and beloved traditions. Beyond everyone loving a good collection of Christmas songs, this episode shows that while the holidays can’t stop the everyday nuances of life, it can remedy them for a short while.
The O.C. “The Best Chrismukkah Ever” (Season 1, episode 13)
The O.C. is a teen drama from the early 2000s. Surprisingly, I don’t know many people that have watched it. It’s one of my very favorites and one of the most well-written shows in my opinion. The character dynamics are unmatched, and the couples are absolutely iconic.
One of the running jokes in the show is main character Seth’s combined holiday celebration, Chrismukkah. Instead of celebrating just Christmas or Hanukkah, the Cohen family celebrates both. This year is special, too, as it’s their (adopted) child Ryan’s first holiday with them. Ryan is comforted by his new family tradition as old holiday memories resurface.
Though, just like in the Glee episode, regular life persists. Their neighbor and Ryan’s main love interest, Marissa, slips deeper into depression and gets arrested for shoplifting. Ryan covers for her, but she then gets drunk at Seth’s party. At the same time, Seth shifts between his two crushes, Anna and Summer, until both discover his disloyalty and force him to choose. The holiday party is messy but so perfectly them. They encounter several hardships, but all in all Ryan has a holiday season full of love and laughs — something he’s never experienced before.
These five holiday specials are close to my heart. Just writing about them has made me more than excited to be home on break, watching each of them back-to-back. There’s something so nostalgic about revisiting your favorite shows during the holidays.
I wish you all the best during the holidays. I hope you’ll check these specials out — and maybe even make a new tradition out of them.