19 Simpsons Christmas Episodes That Left A Lasting Impression

First episode date: April 19, 1987

A series of animated bumpers and skits first appeared on the late-1980s variety show The Tracey Ullman Show before The Simpsons became a show. While it is only a minute long, this short story of Bart retelling The Night Before Christmas is still pretty funny and more enjoyable than several of these episodes.

Air date: December 17, 1989
Writer: Mimi Pond
Director: David Silverman

Season 1 : Episode 1

The Simpsons episodes from the first season have wonky animation and Homer’s voice sounds weird. I was just little when this episode first aired and my parents wouldn’t let me watch it.

Think of the first episode of the show as if it were 1989. Primetime animation had not aired since The Flintstones, and smart anarchic sitcoms such as 30 Rock, Arrested Development, and Community had yet to arrive. The parade of deadbeat Santas and tattoo removal lasers in this first episode would have been revolutionary.

Air date: December 17, 1995
Episode number: 11
Season number: 7
Written by: Mike Scully

It wasn’t just the humor that made the classic era of The Simpsons so great – it was the tightly plotted 22-minute stories that hit home. Indeed, the seventh season’s Christmas episode is the show’s most fantastic emotional ringer in its 30 years.

Marge finds herself unsure how to react when Bart is caught stealing a video game from the mall in ‘Marge Be Not Proud,’ the first-holiday episode since the pilot.

Air date: December 21, 1997
Season number: 9
Episode number: 10
Director: Bob Anderson
Written by: Ron Hauge

Christmas episodes seem to revolve around Bart or Homer ruining the holidays. As a result of Bart’s attempt to open his presents early, all the presents are destroyed in “Miracle on Evergreen Terrace”. As soon as he lies and claims it was a burglar, the town rallies around the family. In this episode, there are some great moments and some fun messages that are unique to The Simpsons. The flawed family has an equally flawed holiday season, and it is a great look at how it happened.

Air date: December 19, 1999
Season number: 11
Episode number: 9
Director: Matthew Nastuk
Writer: Tom Martin

The children at Springfield Elementary serve as a focus group for a toy corporation developing the ultimate Christmas gift. A lot of the action in ‘Grift of the Magi’ takes place at the exact time when The Simpsons went sour. In this case, evil Furbys come alive and destroy other toys, replacing the show’s tight plotting – one of the show’s least-sung but most important qualities.

Air date: December 17, 2000
Episode number: 8
Season number: 12
Writer: Tim Long

The episode “Skinner’s Sense of Snow” doesn’t address Christmas as much as you might enjoy this time of year, but it’s still fun. Principal Skinner finds himself snowed in with several students on the last day before Christmas break. Despite the episode’s focus on the students revolting against Skinner, there are some fun Christmas gags, such as Skinner’s hilariously lame Christmas special.

Air date: December 16, 2001
Season number: 13
Episode number: 6
Writer: Bill Freiberger

Richard Gere makes a guest appearance, and Lisa converts to Buddhism, culminating in a satire of religious corporatization at Christmas. Despite this, the episode’s best feature is the hilarious opening acting, which has little to do with the story. There’s also some great animation of Bart’s hamster astronaut, and Milhouse loses his eyebrows. In the early 2000s, The Simpsons was still a significant show.

Original air date: December 14, 2003
Episode: no. 7 – Season 15
Directed by: Steven Dean Moore
Written by: Michael Price

The true meaning of Christmas is always revealed in every Christmas special. Homer brings about that realization in this case. Despite Ned Flanders’ annoyance, Homer tries to reform after buying himself a costly present. Another fun example of how the show riffs on classic Christmas stories like A Christmas Carol and How the Grinch Stole Christmas is the episode.

Air date: December 18, 2005
Season number: 17
Episode number: 9
Written by: Don Payne

An episode of The Simpsons reenacts the Nativity; a story about Grampa, Mr. Burns, and Santa Claus; and a musical featuring “The Nutcracker Suite.” Shalom, Dr. Nick starts with an uninspired retelling of the birth of Jesus, followed by a dopey story about Grandpa and Mr. Burns being trapped on a desert island during World War II.

Air date: December 17, 2006
Written by: Jeff Westbrook
Episode number: 9
Season number: 18

Gil Gunderson, Springfield’s biggest sadsack, stays with the Simpsons for Christmas. Marge takes pity on Gil after he loses his job and invites him to their holiday celebrations. However, Gil soon overstays his welcome. Sadly, Gill’s presence in this episode annoys the Simpsons and the audience.

Air date: December 5, 2010
Episode number: Episode 8
Season number: Season 22

Taking inspiration from the “Treehouse of Horror” episodes, “The Flight Before Christmas” tells three separate Christmas stories. After losing some of their Christmas spirits, they all have dreams that help them remember why Christmas is so special. Despite being cute, the stories feel rushed, like the Halloween episodes in recent years. Rather than telling a lovely Christmas story, the show makes pop culture references, including an Inglorious Basterds parody.

Air date: December 11, 2011
Written by: J. Stewart Burns
Nominations: Writers Guild of America Award for Best Animation
Episode number: 9
Director: Rob Oliver
Season number: 23

There are occasionally some bright moments in the later seasons of The Simpsons, but the show receives a lot of criticism. Fans pointed out that “Holidays of Future Past” would have made a great series finale if it had been part of the 23rd season of the show. As the kids grow up and move out of the house, the episode explores what Christmas will be like in the future. Maggie is a famous singer, Bart is a deadbeat dad, Lisa is married to Milhouse, and Lisa is married to Bart. Despite its fun nature, the episode does give a glimpse into what the future may hold for this family.

Episode number: 8
Season number: 25
Air date: December 15, 2013
Director: Steven Dean Moore

Global warming will result in no snow at Christmas, according to a news broadcast based on an episode of The Itchy & Scratchy Show called “It’s a Wonderful Knife.” Homer hangs out in his hammock during the Simpsons’ preparation for a year without snow. When they realized it was snowing, the kids and he was happy. As Professor Frink explains in a town meeting in the Town Square, the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant and the Springfield Tire Fire particles caused the snow in Springfield.

Air date: December 7, 2014
Director: Mark Kirkland
Season number: 26
Episode number: 9

Marge tells Homer not to come home after Moe convinces him to stay out drinking on Christmas Eve. Only in the home can one truly get drunk on Christmas, which leads to Homer’s sad journey through lonely Springfield.

Episode number: 10
Season number: 28
Air date: December 11, 2016

The episode initially aired on December 11, 2016. Rob Oliver directed and Jeff Westbrook wrote the episode. Among the guest stars is Jackie Mason as Hyman Krustofsky, Natasha Lyonne as Sophie, Wayne Gretzky as himself, and Theo Jansen as himself. After church attendance plummets, the Reverend Lovejoy seeks conversions, and a ghostly toy haunts Maggie.

Air date: December 10, 2017
Written by: John Frink
Next episode: Haw-Haw Land
Episode number: 9
Previous episode: Mr. Lisa’s Opus
Season number: 29

A wonderful Christmas-ized Simpsons opening credit sequence opens ‘Gone Boy’ – Bart rides a snowboard instead of a skateboard, the nuclear plant becomes Santa’s workshop, and everyone has elf ears. As a Sideshow Bob story with Bart trapped down a well the episode has nothing to do with Christmas.

Air date: December 9, 2018
Season Number: 30
Episode Number: 10

The kids were disappointed when Marge told them they wouldn’t get a smart TV for Christmas, saying they expected that. Homer explains to Bart and Lisa that they are going to make Marge’s Christmas special by getting a TV this year. Only one room was left at the Kissimmee St. Nick Theme Park and Resort, so Homer and the kids book it without thinking about it. The stress Marge expressed over spending Christmas at home made her feel ill.

Air date: December 15, 2019
Season number: 31
Episode number: 10

There are six hundred and seventy-two episodes total on season 31 of The Simpsons, including “Bobby, It’s Cold Outside.”. This episode originally aired on December 15, 2019. The mall Santa for this year is Sideshow Bob. Kelsey Grammer plays Sideshow Bob, alongside Scott Bakula as himself and Steve Ballmer as himself. Steven Dean Moore directed the episode written by Jeff Westbrook and John Frink.

Directors: Mike B. Anderson, Timothy Bailey
Air date: December 13, 2020
Writer: Jessica Conrad
Nominations: Writers Guild of America Award for Best Animation
Episode no: Season 32; Episode 10

This is the 694th episode of the American animated television series The Simpsons, and the 10th in the thirty-second season. This episode parodies Hallmark Christmas movies and focuses on Mary Tannenbaum (Ellie Kemper), a Heartmark executive in Springfield trying to make a movie for Christmas.