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While Bob’s Burgers fans are rightly obsessed with Thanksgiving episodes and are burdened with great sadness during the years we don’t see Bob’s favorite holiday, Christmas episodes deserve some love too. Every year since season 3 of this deliciously crazy series, we have been treated to a Christmas episode, generally including an adventure for children and an adventure for adults. But it’s always a good time.
I watch all of this every year before Christmas, mainly to relax before bed without having to commit to a full movie. I don’t think there are any bad Christmas episodes of Bob’s Burgers, but I think there are a few that stand out in what is now a 14-year tradition. Grab your free punch packet, prepare your bean bath and remember to never give chocolate to dogs as we head to Hulu go through the streaming list.
I will do my best to minimize spoilers for the uninitiated.
14. Season 10, Episode 10: Treat yourself to a Maily Linda Christmas
Linda takes a temporary job at the post office to earn some extra cash before Christmas, and a gift drop-off minutes too late to guarantee on-time delivery kicks off a quest to make a stranger happy. This is a fun episode, if only for a rare, deeper look into the world of Mike the Postman and a solid reminder that Linda won’t rest until she feels like a perceived wrong has been righted.
13. Season 11, Episode 10: Yachty or Nice
Bob’s paranoia reaches its peak when he learns that he has been presented with an opportunity to serve food at a Christmas yacht parade, thanks to a recommendation from his nemesis, Jimmy Pesto. Chaos ensues as the children try to sneak up on a familiar Santa. This is a classic episode of Bob’s Burgers with a holiday twist and a good reminder that sometimes Bob is his own worst enemy.
12. Season 12, Episode 10: Gene’s Christmas Vacation
This is the ninth Christmas episode of the series, and it’s the first with Gene front and center, which is fantastic. Gene searches for a deeply obscure Christmas record after his copy is damaged, and valuable life lessons are learned along this laughter-filled journey. Teddy’s story in this episode is also a lot of fun, but it’s great to see Gene take center stage.
11. Season 15, Episode 9: Dog Christmas Afternoon
Not everyone likes dark chocolate, and that fact causes a level of Christmas chaos that only the Belcher family could find themselves in. This is one of the most emotional episodes of Bob’s Burgers, with Gene actually taking responsibility for his actions, and it’s just plain fun to watch. It’s also a good reminder of how much this series has matured over the past couple of years, but that’s a conversation for another day.
10. Season 7, Episode 7: The Last Gingerbread House on the Left
What begins as an effort to share some Christmas cheer quickly turns surprisingly dark as Bob finds himself drawn into a dangerous game and Linda’s expectations of Christmas carols go awry. This episode lacks some of the big, bright, happy endings usually seen in Christmas episodes, but it’s a lot of fun, and every time Bob and Mr. Fischoeder are together it’s a big laugh. Consider watching this one yourself before sharing it with young children.
9. Season 16, Episode 9: It’s a Hard Life
The local Christmas village has lots of trees for Linda to be completely normal, a cookie decorating area for Bob to be completely normal, and a slow train that Louise uses to prove something to herself. This has all the hallmarks of a Bob’s Burgers Christmas episode, albeit focused on the main family in a way that really makes three of them stand out.
8. Season 5, Episode 6: Bob’s Father
I love a good episode of Bob’s Burgers, and this time we see what is clearly a central memory of Bob’s return as he tries to prove himself to his father. This is the first deeply moving Christmas episode, further establishing future episodes with Big Bob and making me want more episodes about the bar next door and its patrons. This is usually one of the first Christmas episodes I put out each year.
7. Season 3, Episode 9: Bob Rest Ye Merry Gentle-Mannequins
It’s the OG, the first-ever Christmas episode of Bob’s Burgers, and it’s wonderful. Bob receives an unusual inheritance from a deceased family member, which sets off a wild ride for the restaurant that has watch over the entire town. This episode is a fun example of the difference between writing this series over a decade ago and the different tools writers use today to tell stories. It also made me look a little closer at store windows for a few days after watching it, just in case.
6. Season 13, Episode 10: The Fate Before Christmas
As a father of three, I felt this episode to my bones. Bob and Linda must figure out how to watch three children participate in three different Christmas shows happening simultaneously in different parts of town. At first, very little goes as planned, but the end result is a sweet moment with Louise and a good reminder that Tina is more aware of what’s going on than most people think.
5. Season 9, Episode 10: Better living on a sled
It’s a classic of the genre: older kids versus younger kids, as ownership of the perfect toboggan run is up for rigorous debate. We meet more townsfolk and witness some awesome snowball fights, plus get a bonus appearance from Regular Sized Rudy, which is a delight. It’s a simple story about a snowy day, well executed and full of laughs.
4. Season 14, Episode 10: The Nightmare 2 Days Before Christmas
A simple communications glitch leaves the Belcher residence without power just before Christmas and Mr. Fischoeder invites the family to stay at his rarely used hunting lodge while the Belcher house is repaired. Linda’s dedication to making this strange place a home is only surpassed by the children who work non-stop to make sure Santa knows where they are this year. It’s such a delightful, balanced, and utterly strange episode that I frequently recommend it for people to add to their annual watch list.
3. Season 6, Episode 5: Nice-Capades
The kids have dug a huge hole with the people from the North Pole, and the only thing that can save them is a big show on the ice. Many episodes of Bob’s Burgers contain music, and much of that music is catchy enough to stick in your head for a while. But Mr. Fischoeder’s The Spirit of Christmas, voiced and sung by three-time Tony Award winner Kevin Kline, is an annual must-see for me.
2. Season 4, Episode 8: Christmas in the Car
Linda’s love of Christmas leads the family to search for their third live tree of the season on Christmas Eve, and tensions run high for everyone involved. The second Bob’s Burgers Christmas episode ever made is almost perfect, if you ask me. It’s funny from start to finish, and I always want to make a new Dutch baby at the end. The best part is that you can watch this episode any day after Halloween, and it still fits the season.
1. Season 8, episodes 6 and 7: The decline
A local myth, the loss of a community space, and a mysterious thief all form the basis of the best Christmas episode of Bob’s Burgers. This series doesn’t have many two-part episodes, and this is the only Christmas-themed double of the bunch. It’s loaded with music (a lot even for an episode of Bob’s Burgers), has a fantastic story, and leaves everyone learning something by the end. I don’t usually wait until Christmas to watch this one; I’ll wear it pretty much any time of year. It’s just so good.
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