Many animated episodes are delightful to watch throughout the year, but are especially so during the holidays. 

The Simpsons: “Marge Be Not Proud” (s.07, e.11)

Summary: Bart sees a commercial for a hot new video game, but after Marge refuses to buy it, he attempts to shoplift it from a supermarket after encouragement from bullies. He must deal with the consequences that arise when Marge schedules a family portrait at the same store. He is left out of family activities and fears that he has lost his family’s love.

Why You Should Watch It: It’s an early Simpsons episode with the right amount of heart and lightheartedness to give you all of the great feelings you yearn for during this time of year. Furthermore, with a nice, heartwarming ending, it’s a great, feel-good episode with a message about family. 

Phineas and Ferb: “Phineas and Ferb Christmas Vacation!” (s.02, e.37)

Summary: Phineas and Ferb set out on their usual shenanigans around Danville, their hometown, during Christmas. Dr. Doofenshmirtz’s latest invention causes Christmas to be cancelled in Danville, so Phineas and Ferb take things into their own hands. The gang goes out and delivers presents to everyone.

Why You Should Watch It: It’s a family-friendly and heartwarming episode, perfect for the holiday season. With a special theme song crafted specifically for this episode and other songs inserted sporadically throughout, it’s a true musical. Plus, there are a lot of good and funny jokes inserted throughout.

Spongebob Squarepants: “Christmas Who?” (s.02, e.28)

Summary: Sandy Cheeks brings Christmas to Bikini Bottom! Spongebob and the other Bikini Bottom residents are thrilled, but Squidward is annoyed at all of the cheer in the air. When Christmas Day finally arrives, Santa Claus, the joyful figure everyone was excited about, doesn’t show up, so Squidward has to put on the Santa costume and give all of his possessions to the Bikini Bottom residents who show up at his house.
Why You Should Watch It: It’s a classic Spongebob episode. It shows how even the most grumpy people can get into the spirit of the holiday season and how an entire community can come together and spread joy. Plus, it never forgets the fun, and like most classic Spongebob episodes from the first three seasons, there are plenty of jokes and memes to keep you highly entertained while watching. There’s also an interesting and funny surprise at the end of the episode!

The Fairly OddParents: “Christmas Every Day!” (s.01, e.07)

Summary: Timmy Turner is glad that on Christmas, he gets to spend time with his parents and not his evil babysitter, Vicky. He’s happy, but sad that Christmas is going to end. Using his fairy godparents, he wishes for Christmas to be every day. However, the gloss soon wears off, and people soon tire of Christmas. To fix this, Timmy has to travel to the North Pole, and on the way, he meets various holiday characters like Santa Claus.

Why You Should Watch It: It takes the classic idea of a time loop, most famously utilized in the movie “Groundhog Day,” and applies it to the holiday season. Wanting Christmas to be every single day is an idea most people can relate to. By watching this episode, you too can relate to Timmy’s feelings around the holidays if you love Christmas. Plus, there are songs!

King of the Hill: “Hillenium” (s.04, e.10)

Summary: It’s a few days before Christmas in the year 1999, and the people of Arlen are desperately buying supplies, as they fear that the computers will shut down (also known as Year 2K mania). Although at first Hank is skeptical, eventually even he starts freaking out. At the end, the Hill family shares a heartwarming moment together, now believing that everything will be alright.

Why You Should Watch It: Unlike most other holiday episodes, it’s not very heartwarming, but it is funny, which is unique for a holiday episode. It also talks about the way most people felt at the turn of the century, which is an interesting perspective that most Dougherty students are unaware of. If you want a break from the sappiness of other holiday episodes, grab a bowl of popcorn and sit down and watch this episode.

In short, if you find yourself with some extra time this holiday season, and you’re looking to try something new, maybe start a new tradition. Grab a friend, settle down and watch these episodes, found on common streaming services.