The 20 best holiday episodes of television ever

Gossip Girl isn’t necessarily known for its holiday episodes, but its Thanksgiving episodes are some of the most iconic of the entire series. Season 3’s “The Treasure of Serena Madre” has a Thanksgiving scene so legendary it became its own TikTok trend over a decade after the episode premiered.  

Brooklyn Nine-Nine has many great holiday episodes, mostly related to Halloween thanks to its bit, the Halloween Heist. “Halloween,” the first introduction of the Halloween Heist, is far and away the best holiday episode of the series. 

Fans of The Simpsons can argue about which Christmas episode is better: “Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire” or “Miracle on Evergreen Terrace.” For us, it’s the former. 

The Office is one of the rare television shows to do every holiday episode well, even fringe holidays that don’t get much love, like St. Patrick’s Day. “Halloween” stands apart thanks to its iconic costumes, including Three Hole Punch Jim and Two-Headed Michael. 

It’s many a Friends fan’s Thanksgiving tradition to watch all the Thanksgiving episodes on the holiday, and there are so many good ones to choose from. “The One Where Ross Got High” is a particularly good episode thanks to the scene where everyone’s dirty laundry airs, mostly Ross and Monica’s. 

Lots of Parks and Recreation holiday episodes are worth mentioning, but the best is “Galentine’s Day.” Parks and Rec literally created this adjacent holiday, and it’s grown in popularity every year since this episode debuted. That’s cultural power. 

Some might say that The O.C.’s best holiday episode is its first Thanksgiving episode, “The Homecoming,” or even its New Year’s Eve episode “The Countdown,” but true O.C. fans know that “The Best Chrismukkah Ever” is the best because it introduced the world to the incredible concept that is Chrismukkah. 

Community will always get special points for having unique episode ideas. “Abed’s Uncontrollable Christmas” brought stop-motion back into the mainstream, hearkening back to the classic Rankin/Bass Christmas specials that everyone loves. 

For as much as it’s associated with autumn, Gilmore Girls doesn’t have much by way of true Halloween or Thanksgiving episodes. However, it has great Christmas episodes, including "The Bracebridge Dinner,” which is a great example of why so many people still want to live in Stars Hollow. 

It’s hard to write an iconic holiday episode into a new series when there are already so many that exist, but The Bear did a mighty fine job with “Fishes.” This Christmas episode is fantastically written and has some of the best celebrity cameos of any television episode ever, holiday or otherwise. 

The only way Modern Family failed is by not including a Halloween episode every season. Claire Dunphy proved her love for Halloween with each festive episode, but none were quite as memorable as the first, “Halloween.”

New Girl doesn’t get enough credit for its holiday episodes. Among its best were its Thanksgiving episodes, showing how friends celebrate the holiday when they’re unable to travel back home. “Thanksgiving IV,” otherwise known as Bangs-giving, probably isn’t the most realistic depiction of that phenomenon, but it is the funniest. 

“The Ghost of Suite 613” isn’t directly tied to Halloween, but it’s got spooky themes and is proof that children’s shows are just as good at making holiday episodes as other series. This episode of The Suite Life of Zack & Cody will scare even the bravest kids, and it’ll freak out some adults, too. 

If you love hilarious television episodes that include multiple grown men dressed as Santa Claus, “Christmas Cheers” is for you. Cheers does a wonderful job of showing an alternative Christmas celebration that’s still full of spirit and sentiment. 

Even if you’ve never watched an episode of Bob’s Burgers, if you’re a parent, you can relate to the plot of “The Plight Before Christmas.” The episode shows Bob and Linda trying to make it to each of their children’s holiday performances at the same time, imbuing hilarity into the situation in a way that only Bob’s Burgers can. 

“Halloween” is a fantastic episode of The Mindy Project. It’s a great example of writing a character according to how they’d actually act during the holidays as opposed to how they should act during the holidays. 

Arrested Development is another series that doesn’t necessarily make audiences think of holiday episodes, but “Afternoon Delight” is a classic episode of the series outside of the holiday canon. Michael and Maeby’s karaoke duet? Amazingly awkward. 

“Who Got Dee Pregnant?” is It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia at its peak. Holidays at bars in real life are always a sight to see, so of course, they’re just as entertaining when portrayed by The Gang. 

How I Met Your Mother’s “Slapsgiving” episode is great because so many different storylines converge at a chaotic Thanksgiving dinner, which is exactly how that holiday goes for so many people in reality. Art imitating life. 

Of all the Glee music that’s still just as good as it was when it first came out, the Christmas music is at the top. “A Very Glee Christmas,” the series’ first Christmas episode, has some of its best renditions, including “Baby It’s Cold Outside” and “Merry Christmas, Darling.”