Worlds collide when Jack's brusque mom, Colleen ("Some terrorist cells are more nurturing than you," Jack tells her), and Liz's aw-shucks, "perfect" clan — mom Margaret, dad Dick and brother Mitch, who has "Trauma-Induced Nivea Fascia" — drop by to visit. Jack says there's no such thing as a perfect family, and Colleen makes it her mission to prove the Donaghys right, eventually turning the drunken Lemons all against each other at dinner. And with that, Jack wishes his mom a merry Christmas.

Friends' Thanksgiving episodes are classics (Underdog got away, the Geller Cup football game, Chandler in a box, Brad Pitt hates Jennifer Aniston), but this one takes the trifle — and the reason is threefold: Phoebe crushes on Jack Geller and Jacques Cousteau; Rachel makes a trifle with beef ("It tastes like feet"); and everyone learns it was Ross, not Chandler, who smoked pot in college, among other revelations, like his and Rachel's Vegas wedding. But, you know, he got tricked into all those things.

Forget Christmas and Hanukkah, it's all about a "Festivus for the rest of us!" In this episode, fans learn that Kramer actually does have a job — he's just been on strike for 12 years — and about a fake holiday created by George's dad. The episode also memorably featured "The Human Fund," the fake charity George created to get out of buying Christmas presents and Jerry's two-faced girlfriend, Gwen.

"A Benihana Christmas," The Office Ho no no! A newly dumped Michael hits up "Asian Hooters," er, Benihana for a little pick-me-up, where Andy and Michael pick up some waitresses. They bring them back to the office's dueling Christmas parties and Michael forgets which date is his. So he does what anyone would do: Mark her with a Sharpie. The girls eventually leave, but that's OK because it's "bros before hos," Michael says. "They have got your back, after your ho rips your heart out for no good reason. And you were nothing but great to your ho. And you told her she was the only ho for you. And that she was better than all the other hos in the world. And then... suddenly she's not your ho no mo'."

Christmas, Hanukkah and, uh, the Easter Bunny's funeral all get rolled up into one here when Ross tries to teach Ben about Hanukkah. The kid just wants Santa, though, and when Ross can't get his hands on a Santa suit, he settles for the Holiday Armadillo (Santa's representative for all the southern states. And Mexico!) to regale Ben about the festival of lights. Chandler's Santa crashes the educational party, followed by Joey's Superman — who flew all the Jews out of Egypt.

The Slap Bet rears its ugly head — or hand, rather — after Marshall points out to Barney that his Slap Bet Countdown counts down to Thanksgiving. Since Marshall ruined the surprise, Barney "ain't scurred," or so he says. The Barnacle is right — the knowing ruins the anticipation, but the slap pays off when Marshall unveils "You Just Got Slapped," his new tune penned specifically for Slapsgiving.

What's better than one Christmas party? Two. What's better than two Christmas parties? A busted frozen banana stand; untrained crane operator Buster plucking G.O.B. from the wreckage and dropping him into the bay; Lucille getting high on pot brownies ("Afternoone Deelite"); and three totally inappropriate renditions of "Afternoon Delight." We miss you, Bluths!

As part of an interfaith family, Seth Cohen famously coined the term Christmukkah. From the first season where Seth refuses to let his Christmukkah be ruined, to Ryan's Chrismukkah Bar-Mitzvahkkah in Season 3, there was always hilarity on the holidays with the Cohen family.

It's Thanksgiving 1985. Columbia students Will and Grace are dating, but he doesn't want to take their relationship to the next level. Because he's gay, new acquaintance Jack tells him. The slow-burning, awkward yet hilarious reveal comes out (pun intended) at Grace's parents' house on Thanksgiving. Grace cuts Will out of her life, but not for long, since every girl needs a gay guy BFF.

Cooking on Thanksgiving was historically a battle between Marie and Debra. So when the Barone clan heads to Pennsylvania to spend the holiday with Amy's family in the episode everyone is out out of their element. Not only are the Barones shocked to find there's no TV (Frank especially), but when Amy's mom kills a bird after it hits the house, the Barones quickly lose their cool. And don't even get us started on the Pilgrims-Indians re-enactment!

This is not just a classic holiday TV special, it's also the show's first full episode. When Homer fails to get a bonus at work, he secretly works as a mall Santa to make ends meet. His paycheck comes up short, so Homer and Bart go to the racetrack on Christmas Eve and bet it all on Santa's Little Helper. The dog comes in dead last, but the Simpsons come home with a new family pet and end up with a very merry Christmas after all.

One of the quirkier moments in the X-Files' varied canon, this holiday episode brilliantly guest-stars Lily Tomlin and Edward Asner as languishing ghosts whose suicide pact created a bona fide haunted house, which Mulder and Scully investigate on Christmas Eve. Definitely not your typical holiday fare, but still a touching yarn that's an absolute treat for any X-Files fan.

Joey's trying to get with his new hottie roomie, Janine (Elle Macpherson), but it's Ross and Monica who steal the show — and Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve's taping — with their killer routine from middle school that got honorable mention in the brother/sister category. And you can clearly see why… this should have won.