When it comes to holiday content, I like to include sitcoms in my annual rewatches.

Sitcoms, to me, have always been about the people and setting more than any story so it makes sense that when the holidays roll around, these episodes are some of the best.

I crafted a long list of episodes I try to watch each year to get in the holiday spirit. This list ranges from hilarious holiday shenanigans to heartwarming moments from the characters.

Rather than listing out all of them, I thought I’d provide my list of five that I think are essential viewing during the holidays. Please note that this was an extremely difficult list to craft because of how many I love.

Death Takes a Holiday (M*A*S*H, Season 9 Episode 5)

M*A*S*H is one of those shows that doesn’t know what it is at times. It started out as a full-blown sitcom set at an Army surgical hospital during the Korean War. It slowly morphed into a dramedy that balanced satire with commentary on wars. Death Takes a Holiday is one of the show’s most poignant reminders of how it can do commentary on war remarkably well.

Hawkeye, BJ, and Margaret work to keep a dying soldier alive through Christmas so his family back home won’t associate the holiday with the day their dad died. They do this while the rest of the camp is enjoying a party with the local orphanage.

I’ve always thought this is M*A*S*H at its absolute best. You feel for the doctors’ plight and your heart breaks for the soldier’s family. This is particularly relatable now given the situations in Israel and Ukraine.

While the soldier story is the A plot, the B plot shows the arrogant Charles Winchester trying to keep alive a family charity tradition despite being far from home. This is also such a good side story that shows the heart inherent in the show.

While M*A*S*H might not be everyone’s cup of tea given that it debuted over 50 years ago, this episode is dramedy at its best and a brutal reminder of the effects of war.

Carol of the Bells (Ted Lasso, Season 2 Episode 4)

It wasn’t that long ago that I finished Ted Lasso and I was immediately struck by how much heart the show exudes. Carol of the Bells does an absolute fantastic job at showing why many love this show.

There are three major storylines in this episode. The first involves Rebecca trying to cheer up Ted on his first Christmas since his divorce. The second involves Roy and Keeley trying to figure out the cause of Phoebe’s bad breath. The third involves Higgins opening his home to stranded players who didn’t go home for the holidays.

What makes this episode so good is it speaks to those who have been away from home during the holidays. I’ve been there and it can feel incredibly lonely. Having someone show kindness like the Higgins family and open their home made all the difference in the world.

The Ted and Rebecca storyline was also a lot of fun because it shows the impact true friendship can have on others. Roy and Keeley’s arc is just hilarious thanks to Roy’s ultra serious act.

All of that adds up to a wonderful holiday episode that is an absolute joy to watch. It had me laughing one minute and tearing up the next. It’s a good mix that works so well.

The Unbearable Blindness of Laying (King of the Hill, Season 2 Episode 11)

King of the Hill has some excellent holiday episodes so this one was hard to narrow down. While season 3’s Pretty, Pretty Dresses is great and Season 4’s Hillenium is hilarious, it is the animated sitcom’s first holiday episode that takes the cake.

Hank accidently catches his mom and her new boyfriend in what he calls the “throes of passion.” This causes him to go blind and remain unseeing throughout the holidays. Hank comes to accept his mom’s new boyfriend seeing that he’ll treat her different than his dad did.

Carl Reiner does the voice of the boyfriend and absolutely kills it in the role. What puts this one on the list is how well it realizes Hanks’s character development. The final moments are heartwarming because he comes to accept his mom’s boyfriend, ultimately giving him his sight back.

Hank Hill is one of those characters that doesn’t know how to handle his emotions, but when he does, it’s always compelling to watch. This episode is an early instance of that and it also includes plenty of jokes to keep you entertained throughout.

Christmas Party (The Office, Season 2 Episodes 10)

If I wanted to give someone who’s never seen an episode of The Office a recommendation, this is one of a few I would recommend. It features the show’s trademark cringe humor while never having a good resolution.

When Michael receives a gift he believes is lame during a white elephant exchange, he decides to mix it up with a Yankee Swap exchange. He further tries to save the party by bringing in alcohol much to the dismay of the human resources department.

I recommend this episode simply because its just a lot of fun. At this point, The Office is still trying to figure out its identity. You can still see traces of the UK version’s influence while the writers try to make it their own. Michael is still pretty unlikable at this point but that’s what makes the episode work so well.

On top of Michael’s awkward behavior, we also get a key moment in the Jim and Pam saga thanks to the teapot. This episode features everything you need to help explain the show to newcomers.

Abed’s Uncontrollable Christmas (Community, Season 2 Episode 11)

Community has always been a unique show that lived in the shadows of NBC’s sitcom giants such as The Office, Parks and Recreation, and 30 Rock. This episode shows just how weird the show can be while still maintaining its patented humor.

Abed has delusions that he is in a Claymation Christmas special and this concerns the rest of the study group. They enlist the help of Dr. Ian Duncan to help determine the meaning of these delusions. As part of the Claymation portion, Abed and his friends try to travel to the North Pole to learn the meaning of Christmas.

What has always stood out to me is how well Community did commentary in this episode. In the end, Abed finds that there people look way too hard into the meaning of Christmas and, rather, the meaning is more personal. Christmas will always mean something different for other people.

Another aspect this episode has going for it is the memorable Claymation. There are so many holiday episodes out there so it can be hard to be memorable. This episode exceeds at that because it employs the stop-motion Claymation from specials past. It works and is a lot of fun to watch.

What did you think about the list? What holiday sitcom episodes are your favorite? Do you have some you enjoy watching every year? Let us know in the comments below or head over to our Discord channel to join the conversation.

Featured Image: Apple TV (via IMDb)

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