Out of all of the best parts about the holiday season — eggnog, 24 hours of A Christmas Story, debaucherous holiday media parties — our favorite has to be the slew of very special Christmas episodes. From Urkel to The Office, here are some of our favorite storylines featuring the magic of Christmas, proving year after year that sitcoms may come and go, but cliche-ridden holiday plots last a lifetime.
Friends
Who knew that Superman played such an integral role in the Hanukkah story?
Seinfeld
Four calling birds, three french hens, two turtle doves and a nip-slip in your Christmas card.
Daria
True, this isn’t exactly a Christmas episode per se, but seeing Daria Morgendorfer help Cupid and the St. Patrick’s Day Leprechaun wrangle Christmas, Halloween and Guy Fawkes Day back to Holiday Island? Priceless.
The Office
Vodka or Double-Fudge Brownies? The eternal struggle. (An honorable mention goes out to Santa Phyllis. Overall, not as funny of an episode, but too weird not to include.)
SNL
Because we Gentiles sometimes wish our Christmases involved Chinese food and trips to the movies instead of fruit cake and hand-knit sweaters from Grandma.
Gossip Girl
In which Serena Van Der Woodsen proves that the taking of one’s virginity really is the best way to say “Merry Christmas!”
My So-Called Life
Worst episode of the show’s run, but one of the best Christmas episodes out there. You know, in our humble opinion.
Family Matters
No show did it better than Family Matters when it came to Christmas episodes, which makes us wonder why it is that the Winslows needed Steve to remind them of the true meaning of Christmas year after year after year…
Want more? Check out this list of 101 Classic Christmas Videos Online.