Once finals week is over, you can start to fully enjoy the holidays. With my upcoming surplus of free time, I will be going on a TV holiday episode marathon. Any episode of a television or streaming service series that is centered around the December holiday season is often called a “Christmas episode,” but I prefer the more inclusive nomenclature of “holiday episode.” I made a list of some of my favorite holiday episodes but there are so many others out there so check your favorite shows for a holiday episode to get in the spirit this season.
The O.C.- “The Best Chrismukkah Ever” (Season 1, Episode 13)
The OC is a fun show with a great cast and, if nothing else, the writers knew how to make a good holiday episode. In episode thirteen of the first season, one of my childhood fictional character crushes, Seth Cohen, coined the term “Chrismukkah” to describe his family’s hybrid faith celebration. The Cohens are Jewish, but Seth’s mother is not, so the family celebrates both Christmas and Hanukkah. This episode is cute and full of spirit.
Gilmore Girls- “Love and War and Snow” (Season 1, Episode 8)
All Gilmore Girls lovers know Lorelai’s obsession with snow, and we are first introduced to this in episode eight of season one. This episode is not necessarily holiday-themed, but I think it does a great job of romanticizing the first snow of the season. We often dread the first snow in New York because it means being snowed in, wiping off the car in the morning, and so many other negative aspects of the winter season. This episode is a reminder for me to appreciate that we are lucky enough to live in a place where we get to see nature change into the holiday spirit and celebrate with us!
Community- “Comparative Religion” (Season 1, Episode 12)
This show has four holiday episodes, and I could not pick just one. There are two that I watch every year: season one, episode twelve, and season two, episode eleven. The first holiday episode explores the idea that this time of year is not just reserved for Christmas and is a reminder to respect the faith of others. Christianity is not the only religion in the world, and you can enjoy your holiday without pressuring anyone else to celebrate the same way you do.
Community- “Abed’s Uncontrollable Christmas” (Season 2, Episode 11)
The second holiday special is a stop motion Claymation that pays tribute to holiday classics that were filmed the same way. It is from the perspective of the character, Abed, and follows his mission to find the true meaning of Christmas as a Muslim man. I love how creatively this episode breaks the fourth wall and how it touches on serious topics like mental health through the way the characters react and struggle to understand Abed’s distorted mental state.
New Girl- “Santa” (Season 2, Episode 11)
All New Girl holiday episodes are upbeat and hilarious but also weirdly complex at the same time. One of my favorites is season two, episode eleven. This is the episode where Schmidt has to dress up as Santa for a company party and seeing him humiliated makes me laugh every time since he is also rude to Cece in this episode. He also drops some hilarious one-liners that I quote every holiday.
For example, my mom often requests that we attend an absurd number of holiday parties like the characters do in this episode. To this, I jokingly respond with, “I don’t celebrate Christmas, or as I like to call it, “White Anglo Saxon Winter Privilege Night” because let’s face it, Schmidt is right. We often forget what the season is about and are too focused on buying or consuming an outrageous number of products. If we do remember the reason for the season, we make the mistake of assuming everyone celebrates the same faith as us and in the same way as us. This season, remember to keep your minds and hearts open.
Honorable Mentions:
Arrested Development- “Afternoon Delight” (Season 2, Episode 6)
Pretty Little Liars- “How the ‘A’ Stole Christmas” (Season 5, Episode 13)
The Office- “A Benihana Christmas” (Season 3, Episodes 10 and 11)
Gossip Girl- “Roman Holiday” (Season 1, Episode 11)
American Horror Story- “Unholy Night” (Season 2, Episode 8)