ThoughThe Simpsonsis better known for its annualTreehouse of HorrorHalloween specials, the show has a long history of celebrating holidays of all kinds. The regular series kicked off back in 1989 with a Christmas episode, and it remains one of the most memorable entries in the canon.The Simpsons has evolved a lot over time, but there’s no denying that the holiday season has a place in its history.
Halloween episodes allow the creators behind The Simpsons to embrace the weird, but this is a show about a working-class family at its heart. Christmas tends to force Homer to reflect on his selfish actions while giving us a chance to see what his family loves about him. Commenting on the best and the worst aspects of the holidays, these are some of the very best episodes of the show’s many seasons.
The Simpsons
13‘’Tis the Fifteenth Season’
Season 15, Episode 7
Yes, this is the Christmas special where the famed California Raisins make an appearance. While they do put on their sweet moves, showing the world they still had it, it was the episode’s message that took center stage here.
“‘Tis the Fiftheenth Season” sees Homer spending all of his money on an expensive Christmas gift. Only, it was not for the family, but for him. This leads to the rest of the family getting on with the family patriarch, which forces Homer to change his egoist ways. The message in this episode was crystal clear; and while it may not be among the absolute best Christmas specials, it certainly is among the more underrated.
12“‘Tis the 30th Season’
Season 30, Episode 10
In 2018,The Simpsonshit a historic milestone. Few animated series have ever made it to 30 seasons, but this iconic animated sitcom sure did; and what better way to celebrate this historic milestone than a great Christmas special?
“‘Tis the 30th Season” finds Marge on a mission to fix Christmas following a disastrous Black Friday shopping spree. The tables are turned (in a good way), however, when Homer and the kids surprise their mom with a trip to Florida for the holidays. While the laughs are certainly theirs, it was the sweet sentiment that hooked viewers. Marge is one of the best and most caring moms on the small screen, and it was sweet seeing the family do something nice for her and make her feel appreciated.
11“White Christmas Blues”
Season 25, Episode 8
Who ever knew that Springfield was a tourist town? Well, no one knew, until Season 25, when a sudden spike in tourism meant that our favorite yellow family couldn’t afford Christmas. So, in order to make the special time of the year happen, they open up their house to new visitors to Springfield; and you’re able to imagine how that went.
While it’s one of the more underrated Christmas specials, “White Christmas Blues” should be considered among the best holiday episodes of the series. In a way, many families can, at one point in time, relate to the Simposns’ plight in this episode, and root for the family as they turn potential disaster into opportunity.
10’Kill Gil, Volumes 1 & II'
Season 18, Episode 9
Marge Simpson has generally been portrayed as the long-suffering partner of the chaotic Homer, but sometimes the creators allow her to examine her status as a pushover in text. Marge grappling with her limitations is always a good thing in a world that expects too much of moms. Besides, when she finally loses her temper, it’s always bound to be good for a yuk.
Gil Gunderson is the show’s classic unlucky businessman who endures constant hardships but has an optimistic attitude. When he loses his job, Marge offers to let him stay at their place for Christmas, only to spend the next year unable to draw boundaries or ask him to leave. When he finally does, she finds her frustration and ends up costing him his job again, leading the two of them to repeat their dynamic indefinitely.
9’Marge Be Not Proud'
Season 7, Episode 11
Fans of the Simpsons will know that Bart is mostly an unrepentant troublemaker, but he can always be shamed by his mom. When he is peer pressured into stealing a video game and caught by a chainsmoking security guard, he ends up desperately working to avoid his parents finding out.
Marge is convinced that Bart would never do such a thing and is disappointed beyond words when she realizes that her faith has been misplaced. Homer sternly tells him that he’s grounded and can’t steal anything else for three weeks, but Marge’s shame is by far the worst punishment. Bart is made to feel like an outsider in his own family when she decides to take a hands-off approach to parenting, leading to a lot of hilarious moments in which he tries to participate with a family that is ignoring him. When the others create snowmen, he is forced to make one out of dirty, leftover snow.
8’Miracle on Evergreen Terrace'
Season 9, Episode 10
Most Christmas episodes involve either Homer, Bart, or both Homer and Bart making huge mistakes that everyone else has to deal with. This is one where Bart takes center stage, sneaking out of bed to open presents early, only to accidentally light the tree aflame, burning the presents to ash.
While his family sleeps, he takes the melted plastic tree and buries it in the snow, making up an elaborate story about being robbed. Springfield comes together to help the Simpsons recuperate from the tragedy, but when the tree is uncovered, they become public enemies, accused of exploiting the goodwill of others for profit. The resolution, of course, is for the townspeople to rob them of everything they own, thereby allowing everyone to forgive and forget. Merry Christmas!
7’Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire'
Season 31, Episode 10
This is it! The episode that took The Simpsons out of their status as a feature onThe Tracey Ullman Showand introduced them to audiences around the world. Though the animation has significantly improved over the years and there’s slightly less child-strangling now (1989 was a weird time, okay), these are the characters we have come to know and love in all their glory.
Homer is broke and unable to provide presents for his family, and so he takes up extra work in hopes of being able to spring for some. When he unwisely gambles his cash away once more by betting on a greyhound named Santa’s Little Helper, both Homer and the pup lose everything. However, his heartstrings are pulled when he sees the now-homeless dog kicked into the streets, and he brings the little guy home, giving the show one of its most beloved recurring characters.
6’The Fight Before Christmas'
Season 22, Episode 8
Fans of theTreehouse of Horrorformat will find a lot to love about this episode, which is broken down into four different dream sequences, showing us what Bart, Lisa, Marge, and Maggie dream of on Christmas Eve. Bart threatens to kill Santa for not bringing him the presents he wanted, only to have aPolar Expressstyle dream in which he bonds with Santa and forgives him.
This episode is truly surreal, and an extended puppet sequence in which Katy Perry appears to lead the group in singing some Christmas jingles easily makes for some of the strangest holiday TV ever to air. Yet, that’s a big part of what makes it so fun, with a WWII-themed vignette in which Marge is a soldier away at war and another short clip in which Marge asks for help from Martha Stewart only to discover that she isn’t all that helpful after all.
5’The Nightmare Before Krustmas'
Season 28, Episode 10
Krusty the Clown is one of the greatest among the show’s extended cast, and this is one of his shining moments. When he suffers a highly unexpected injury while ice skating with his daughter Sophie, he is faced with the daunting task of spending one-on-one time with her. Realizing they don’t know each other very well, he is dismayed to realize that she’s been raised Christian, while he is Jewish.
This episode is very much about Krusty finding common ground with his daughter, who has very little interest in his career in show business and wants to get to know him as a father. However, the subplot is also great and sees Maggie, terrified of a toy called Gnome In Your Home, waging an all-out war against the wide-eyed elf who she becomes convinced can see her every movement.
4’Grift of the Magi'
Season 9, Episode 11
Known for its pop-culture commentary,The Simpsons even recently skewered the MCU. Proving often that nothing is off-limits, the series has excelled when it comes to observing its complicity in crass commercialism while urging viewers to dig a little deeper into how it interacts with their own lives.
One of the best examples of this can be found in ‘Grift of the Magi,’ in which the school system is shut down due to a series of catastrophic occurrences. Though the students and faculty beg for help from those that have the money to give, Springfield Elementary is ultimately bought out by private interest groups that use the students for market tests. Hoping to build the perfect toy, they unleash the chaos of Funzo, a destructive animatronic in the style of Furby.
