Much like Brooklyn Nine-Nine’s annual Halloween (/Cinco de Mayo/Easter) Heist episodes, The Office featured a themed Christmas episode almost every season it was on the air. Just replace B99’s Ocean’s Eleven–esque schemes with TV’s cringiest social interactions.
America’s version of The Office gifted us nine Christmas episodes in total, and they’re all available to stream right now on Peacock.
Season 2, Episode 10: “Christmas Party”
This first Christmas episode presents viewers with a gift-exchange nightmare: a hijacked Secret Santa turns into White Elephant (“Yankee Swap”) nonsense. Hey, remember when “video iPods” were $400? That baby held a whopping 15 GB of storage.
Season 3, Episodes 10 and 11: “A Benihana Christmas”
The beginning of this two-part special leans into the uncomfortable social interactions that happen when you eat lunch out with your coworkers. Michael is fresh off a breakup that was entirely his fault (we’re still wondering who would even think to photoshop themselves into their girlfriend’s family photos) and—of course—flirts with the waitress.
Back at Dunder Mifflin, it’s tradition vs. modernity with competing Christmas party themes. Are you Team Angela or Team Pam?
Season 5, Episode 11: “Moroccan Christmas”
Looking back at The Office in 2023, you might wonder what a modern HR department would make of it. This episode is a particular offender; did you expect anything else from the title?
A highlight of this episode, though, is Dwight’s newfound passion for buying up the season’s hottest doll: “Princess Unicorn,” a Barbie wannabe whose vibe lands somewhere in between Swan Lake and Rapunzel. Of course, he’s willing to sell the dolls to desperate parents for a hefty markup. Present-day Dwight would definitely love Ticketmaster. Sorry, Swifties.
Pro tip: You can find extended versions of the first five seasons’ Christmas episodes by searching for “The Office: Superfan Episodes” on Peacock.
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Season 6, Episode 13: “Secret Santa”
Season 6’s Christmas special, “Secret Santa,” (not to be confused with the second season episode that also features a Secret Santa gift exchange), is a chaotic mess. It’s a war between two Santas, which Michael insists is better than one.
A highlight of this episode is Andy’s mission to give Erin a “12 Days of Christmas”–themed Secret Santa gift. Who knew it would involve so many birds?
Season 7, Episodes 11 and 12: “Classy Christmas”
This two-part special is all about relationship drama. It wouldn’t be Christmas at The Office without Michael Scott making himself the center of attention, and that’s exactly what he does when his ex comes back to work at Dunder Mifflin.
It’s Steve Carell’s last Christmas episode, though, so he’s allowed to dominate the plot. Just this once.
Season 8, Episode 10: “Christmas Wishes”
The eighth season’s Christmas episode is all about Andy and Erin. Or rather, the fallout from their breakup. Neither character does anything in half-measures. However, this one might be one to skip if you’re not that big a fan of Sabre’s CEO, the recently introduced, unsettling “Lizard King,” Robert California.
Season 9, Episode 9: “Dwight Christmas”
As the show’s final run, season 9 had the daunting task of competing with everything that came before. And what better way to end The Office party tradition than by putting it in the hands of Dwight Shrute—sorry, we mean Belsnickel.
Olivia Bono loves entertainment, and she’s never going to shut up about it. Here at CableTV.com, you’ll find her writing about the wild world of streaming. Her specialty is animation—you can find much of her work at our anime hub page. Olivia previously wrote for the Cornell Daily Sun, where in addition to television, she reviewed movies, albums, and video games. Outside of work, she loves to listen to audiobooks, make art, and spend time outdoors.
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