Still feeling the Christmas spirit? You’re in luck. With the rankings of “Bob’s Burgers” Halloween and Thanksgiving episodes under my belt, the only rightful conclusion is to rank the Christmas episodes leading up to the most recent episode. 

The Christmas episodes are arguably some of the best out of the entire show, featuring plenty of interesting characters and dynamics. In line with the Christmas spirit, it’s time to pit these episodes against each other and expose the worst of them.

12. “Gene’s Christmas Break” — Season 12 episode 10

In “Gene’s Christmas Break,” Gene accidentally breaks one of his favorite Christmas records, “Percy McTinsel-bud”  — which just so happens to be incredibly annoying and hated by everyone else in the family. In the neighborhood, Teddy arranges a Secret Santa among the adults. 

I’m not particularly fond of the main plot, and I don’t think this episode has a strong subplot to carry it. I would wager that Gene is the least favorite out of the family members (not that I would ever pick a least favorite out of any of them), so to see him take the lead for a Christmas episode was a little odd. 

I found the resolution of the plotline not all too believable, especially after building an entire episode based on Gene’s love of eccentricities. When the family try (and fail) to record the record for Gene, he, understandably, hates it, but ultimately has a change of heart. 

I feel like sometimes the show loses track of the fact that Gene, Louise and Tina are just kids (especially Louise). Of course, they’re the characters of an adult cartoon, so they’re gonna be a little different from actual children, but sometimes their mental frameworks and growth don’t make too much sense. 

For some reason, watching Louise go through these rapid changes makes more sense than watching the same happen to Gene, despite him being older. This might be because Louise is so incredibly witty and often does really horrible things, so it makes sense that she expresses regret. For Gene, though, he wears his heart on his sleeve and is very true to himself, so it’s odd to see something so important to him change so rapidly. 

This is not a wonderful episode, but it does have its funny moments. The Secret Santa subplot has a hilarious and sweet ending that almost makes up for the failures of the rest of the episode — almost. 

11. “The Last Gingerbread House on the Left” — Season 7 episode 7

In “The Last Gingerbread House on the Left,” Bob is pulled into participating in Mr. Fischoeder’s gingerbread house competition. The situation takes a turn for the worse then Bob finds out that all of Mr. Fischoeder’s friends are armed and ready, leaving Bob the only one without a gun in a room full of crazy old men. In the neighborhood outside, the rest of the family plus Teddy go caroling and make an unlikely friend. It sounds weird because it is.

The prize for winning the gingerbread house competition is a visit with a baby polar bear from the local zoo. Obviously, Bob wants to win this for the kids because money is tight enough that Christmas gifts aren’t looking too good, but all of Fischoeder’s friends want to see this baby polar bear too. I don’t blame them; it’s really cute. 

I don’t love this episode just because I don’t particularly love Fischoeder. His friends can be pretty funny, with this being their first episode appearance, but they’re not my favorite. 

I prefer the caroling subplot to the main storyline. As he often does, Teddy tries to step into a fatherly role for the kids and serve as a husband for Linda. It’s even funnier that Bob feels so unthreatened that he doesn’t have an issue with it at all. 

This plotline also has a nice spooky touch and a heartwarming ending. The kids do end up getting to see the polar bear, but all of Mr. Fischoeder’s friends do, too. “The Last Gingerbread House on the Left” is a spooky addition to the “Bob’s Burgers” Christmas lineup, but it’s lacking some heart. 

10. “Nice-Capades” — Season 6 episode 5

After wronging a mall Santa (voiced by Henry Winkler) who tells the kids that he’s gonna inform the real Santa what happened, the kids devise a plan to make themselves look as good as possible in the local mall. With a large cast of characters as support, they create a show on ice displaying all of their good deeds from the year — by bending the truth, of course. 

This episode is one of many examples of Louise being kind of evil while Tina and Gene are complicit — but a little bit evil, too. Tina and Gene don’t really put their full effort into the show while Louise is freaking out at the prospect of losing her gifts from Santa. 

This episode is interesting because I think it’s one of the best examples of Louise’s character growth throughout a single installation. 

“Nice-Capades” ends in a very real admission of Louise saying she doesn’t think she’s nice or a good person. It’s something that is hinted at throughout the series, but to see her, a 9-year-old girl, come out and admit it is sad. The family all tell her how wonderful and loved she is, resulting in a lovely ending for the episode. 

I was an amazing kid, and am now an amazing adult, so I can’t relate to Louise’s turmoil, but maybe my siblings would. I might enjoy this episode more if I was ever in fear of losing my Christmas gifts as a kid. 

9. “Yachty or Nice” — Season 11 episode 10

In “Yachty or Nice,” the family finds themselves at a yacht club event selling burgers as a promotion for the restaurant. Meanwhile, the kids are eager to scrounge up presents from the event’s Santa Claus, played by Teddy (who the kids call Uncle Father Santa Teddy). Unfortunately, tons of kids are already lined up for the presents, so it’s unlikely that the kids will get a spot in line before the presents run out. 

At the booth, Linda schmoozes with customers (while hoping to see the mayor) and Bob, in his recurring paranoia, is convinced that Jimmy Pesto is sabotaging the event. (He’s not.) 

“Yachty or Nice” is kind of forgettable but still has its funny moments and is in no way a bad episode. I like the incorporation of Christmas elements in a new setting, and I really enjoy the ending. “Yachty or Nice” is nothing special, but it’s far from the worst episode or worst Christmas episode. 

8. “Have Yourself a Maily Linda Christmas” — Season 10 episode 10

In this episode, Linda takes a seasonal job at the post office. Before she leaves for her shift, Bob asks her to hurry home, as Linda’s parents are coming to visit, and Bob doesn’t want to be left alone with them. She agrees and heads off to work, ecstatic. 

Before leaving, she sees a Christmas express package that won’t arrive on time and takes matters into her own hands, despite her superior telling her to leave it be. After picking up Gene and Louise, who are coming to scrounge up a good gift for Tina, Linda goes on a mission to deliver the package to its rightful recipient. 

Meanwhile at home, Tina is preparing very thoughtful gifts for the three kids’ gift exchange. Of course, Linda’s parents have arrived early, leaving Bob to struggle to entertain any conversation with them. 

“Have Yourself a Maily Linda Christmas” has a very sweet ending for Linda’s story. As for the subplot surrounding the kids, the resolution makes me a bit sad. Whereas Tina has put tons of thought into her gifts for Gene and Louise, they realize at the beginning of the episode that they have nothing for her. They’ve resolved to give her a big hug for her present, which she appreciates because she’s awesome, but she still wants a real gift and keeps asking. 

It’s sad that Tina does not get the same thoughtfulness and appreciation she gives out, but the way she deals with it attests to her good character. 

An interesting facet of this episode is the combination of Linda, Gene and Louise together as well as Linda’s parents and sister alongside Bob and Tina. I really enjoy episodes that pair together characters like this, as I feel like it really explores each characters’ personalities. 

“Have Yourself a Maily Linda Christmas” is a heartfelt Christmas episode with a plotline that could probably fill a Hallmark Christmas movie. This episode is a lighthearted and engaging watch.

7. “Bob Rest Ye Merry Gentle-Mannequins” — Season 3 episode 9

The “Bob’s Burgers” team knocked it out of the park with the series’ first Christmas episode. In “Bob Rest Ye Merry Gentle-Mannequins,” Bob inherits a storage unit that is, surprisingly, housing a squatter named Chet. Chet stays with the family for the holiday season, revealing that he has a talent for decorating storefront windows — because, as we find out later, he believes he’s a mannequin turned human. As his window displays become more and more elaborate and more of his story is revealed, the episode turns into a mission to find his long-lost love, another mannequin named Nadine that was sent to a different department store. 

Chet is an incredibly funny character. He’s only starred in this episode, but I would love to see him make another appearance in the series, maybe in another holiday episode. 

One interesting thing about this episode is the introduction of a magical theme: shapeshifting. Bob, of course, doubts Chet’s story, but the rest of the family are touched by his romance with Nadine and set out to find her. 

This one of the only examples I can think of where something unrealistic happens and is, for the most part, believed in the narrative. The story confirms that Nadine is, in fact, a real mannequin, and has two left hands, like Chet said she did. 

This episode still has some of the broody and darker themes from the earlier seasons but overall takes a more lighthearted approach. “Bob Rest Ye Merry Gentle-Mannequins” is laugh-out-loud funny and a promising start to the series’ Christmas episodes.

6. “The Bleakening (Parts 1 and 2)” — Season 8 episode 6, 7

“The Bleakening” stunned my family upon first watch with its mystery and eeriness. In these two episodes, Linda is throwing a Christmas party at the restaurant, featuring a small Christmas tree with her most prized ornaments made by the kids. When the ornaments begin to go missing, Linda launches a full-scale investigation into many of the partygoers. The kids, however, think that the ornaments have been stolen by the Bleaken, an evil spirit that takes presents and is described by Teddy as the “anti-Santa.”

“The Bleakening,” originally aired as an hour-long episode, is seriously great. This is one of most powerful mystery episodes in “Bob’s Burgers,” with a ton of intrigue and scary elements littered throughout. 

My favorite episodes are usually ones in which the family live like a real family with small-scale and low-stakes conflicts, but “The Bleakening” is an exception. At times, the kids seem to be in real danger, which is an awesome change for a Christmas episode. 

“The Bleakening” has an amazing plot, a great lineup of characters and a wonderfully satisfying ending. The episodes are worthy of a watch every Christmas and maybe even throughout the year. 

5. “The Nightmare 2 Days Before Christmas” — Season 14 episode 10

The most recent Christmas-themed episode was a real treat, especially given that some of the more recent years have been rough for Christmas episodes. 

In season 14’s episode, the Belchers stay at Mr. Fischoeder’s hunting lodge when their power goes out on Dec. 23. After a perilous trek through the mountains, they’re greeted with a humongous house reminiscent of “The Shining.” They’re, unfortunately, missing two things: flour to make cookies for Santa and their Christmas tree, which had fallen off on the drive. 

One qualm I do have with this episode is the lack of resolution in some of the subplots. Tina snags the master bedroom, which is brought up maybe twice. The spookiness of the house is never addressed for the most part. 

To be fair, the house has a horrifying painting which is covered up by the kids for Bob’s sake, but other than that, there are few Fischoeder qualities of the hunting lodge. 

Still, this episode has a lot of heart, and you really see the extent of Linda’s sentimentality when she sets out to retrieve their lost Christmas tree. It results in an almost tearful goodbye to the tree, which is a nice call back to her attachment to their Christmas tree and ornaments in “The Bleakening.”

This is a wonderful Christmas episode and a great addition to a shortened season. “The Nightmare 2 Days Before Christmas” is one for the books. 

4. “Father of the Bob” — Season 5 episode 6

“Father of the Bob” is a heartfelt Christmas episode. In this installation, the family visit Bob’s dad’s diner, Big Bob’s Diner. Linda is determined to push Bob past his 15-minute limit in which Bob can only spend a maximum of 15 minutes with his dad before Big Bob says something awful. In the restaurant’s basement, the kids compete to come up with the best Christmas gift.

The episode starts with a flashback to young Bob working at his dad’s restaurant and feeling as if his creativity is being stifled. We see one of the first examples of Bob’s “Burger of the Day,” but his dad blows up on him, causing a huge rift in their relationship. 

Present day, Bob brings up their old arguments when Big Bob offends him at the 15-minute limit, opening old wounds. However, Bob wants to make amends this Christmas and heads to a nearby gay bar owned by Big Bob’s friend Pete (played by Nick Offerman). Bob square dances with the other attendees in order to make things right with his dad, who is not gay. 

I feel like not enough people talk about how Bob’s voice actor, H. Jon Benjamin, seemingly voices a million different characters in the show, including bigger characters like Jimmy Jr. and, in this episode, Big Bob. Sure, it’s probably not as many as Seth MacFarlane in “Family Guy,” but it’s a larger accomplishment in my heart. 

I love Big Bob so much. He made an appearance in the newest episode, and my family and I were very happy to see it. He’s funny and feels like a real grandpa. It’s great to see Big Bob interact with the kids, who have a silly storyline of their own. The kids’ storyline is an awesome break from the seriousness and relatability of the main plotline. 

“Father of the Bob” is a wonderful episode and an even better Christmas episode, with the perfect blend of goofiness and heart. 

3. “Christmas in the Car” — Season 4 episode 8

“Christmas in the Car” is the result of Linda wanting to get a Christmas tree immediately after Halloween. Of course, the tree dies by Thanksgiving, so Linda wants to get another one. Of course, the tree dies by Christmas Eve. This leaves the family sans Bob distraught about not having a Christmas tree for Christmas. They embark on a drive to the only Christmas tree farm with any trees left.

While on the drive home, a large semi truck shaped like a candy cane terrorizes the car and almost kills the family. After a few more interactions with the truck — and a stop at a diner to get a Dutch baby pancake — the driver hops out of the truck to fight Bob. The driver is laughably short and keeps telling Bob he’s going to “bang (his) ass.” Bob lets the guy punch him because he feels bad, and the family gives him their Dutch baby. 

Throughout the episode, the kids also talk about their plan to trap Santa. Back at home, Teddy has fallen into the trap they’ve set. 

This episode has a ton of great touches, like the choice to have Tina still believe in Santa, despite being 13 years old. In another short exchange, a cop essentially makes fun of Bob for being angry about the candy cane truck tormenting them on the road. 

This was one of the first (if not the very first) Christmas episodes that I watched live with my family, and it’s one of our favorites that we make time to watch every year. It’s impressive how much Christmas spirit the episode packs despite not having very many conventional Christmas elements. 

2. “Better Off Sled” — Season 9 episode 10

During an epic snow day, the kids and a few friends are excited to sled on a massive hill until they see that Logan (Louise’s high school enemy) and his pals are waiting to pelt them with snowballs. Louise comes up with a series of ideas to solve the issue, such as enlisting Rudy’s cousin for her pitching skills and asking Teddy to use his snowplow to clear the area. At the restaurant, Linda has taken up knitting and is struggling her way through scarves for the kids. 

It doesn’t sound like much, but this is one of the best seasonal episodes. It has all the makings of a good watch: a funny lineup of characters, great character interaction and a unique plot. The two plotlines almost feel equally fleshed out, which I feel is hard to do. It doesn’t feel much like a Christmas episode and instead feels more like a winter episode. 

It’s nice to see Louise’s brainstorming and planning used for something not entirely selfish, even though she does take advantage of Teddy for help. Still, “Better Off Sled” has a very satisfying ending, and Louise actually shows a lot of maturity in the storyline’s resolution. 

While the kids are working to solve their bully issue with Rudy, Darryl and a few other kids, Linda is visited in dreams and daydreams by the Knit-cracker, who taunts her for her poor knitting ability. She is tormented by Bob’s natural knitting ability, but this side plot also has a sweet ending.

This episode is incredibly funny with plenty of moments that make my family and I laugh out loud or at least do a half-laugh by exhaling through our nose. There are tons of details that make “Better Off Sled” great, with everything from the different types of sleds all covered with scratches to the weird grunt Rudy’s cousin makes when she pelts Logan with snowballs. It’s hard to find a Christmas (or wintry) episode better than “Better Off Sled.”

1. “The Plight Before Christmas” — Season 13 episode 10

And yet, “The Plight Before Christmas” tops “Better Off Sled.” In last year’s Christmas episode, Bob and Linda are stuck between a tough decision when all of the kids have Christmas events at the exact same time. Gene’s grade is putting on a concert, Tina is acting in a Christmas play and Louise is reading a poem she wrote that was chosen by her school. Luckily, Louise submitted a joke poem about poop, so she doesn’t really need anyone there to watch her read it. 

Except the poem wasn’t about poop. Although the family doesn’t realize until it’s almost too late, Louise has turned in a heartfelt poem about being with her family on Christmas morning. Tina realizes and leaves her play, with Linda a little bit behind her, to make it on time to be there for Louise. It’s nice to see Tina and Louise’s individual relationship take such a pivotal role in the episode.

At Gene’s production, Gene’s music teacher has gotten sick, and Gene must help an erratic substitute teacher (voiced by Tina Fey) figure out how to conduct the students. The program has a rough start but really comes together and sets the backdrop for Louise’s lovely poem. It gives me goosebumps and makes me tear up a little. 

It’s just really sweet and such a wonderful episode. The animation is notably beautiful in this episode, which really ties everything together. You just can’t get any better than “The Plight Before Christmas,” but season 14 sure gave last year’s episode a run for its money.