Bob’s Burgers has reliably delivered a Christmas-themed episode going back to season three—which gives us great hope we’ll be getting one as part of its current 14th season. But even if we don’t, the Fox show has already gifted us with a sleigh full of silly joy, cringe-inducing snafus, and useful wisdom. Here are 13 Christmas lessons we’ve learned… and have referred back to even when it’s not Santa season.
(If you want more Belcher celebrations, the Thanksgiving, Valentine’s Day, and Halloween episodes are also must-watches.)
“Christmas isn’t all about gettin’ stuff”
When Bob inherits a storage unit, the family meets Chet (guest voice Zach Galifianakis), a former window-dresser who’s been squatting in said storage unit. Invited to crash with the Belchers for the holidays, he designs holiday displays that attract tons of attention… until he starts to come unglued, thanks to his obsession with one particular mannequin. One very off-color display (and one sex-shop visit later), the kids agree to give up their Christmas presents so that Chet can find happiness—bringing full-circle Linda’s reminder, from the top of the episode, that the holiday is about more than just hauling gifts for yourself. (Season three, episode nine, “Bob Rest Ye Merry Gentle-Mannequins”)
Don’t get your Christmas tree too early
Really, the takeaway is “spending time with family is what’s important”—with tangents about things like highway safety in snowy conditions, and not falling prey to Louise’s elaborate Santa trap. But none of the hijinks that ensue would have happened if Linda hadn’t insisted on putting up a Christmas tree the day after Halloween… then, after that one dries up, putting up a second tree a month later… and then insisting the family go out on Christmas Eve to replace that one when it becomes a fire hazard. (Season four, episode eight, “Christmas in the Car”)
Believe in Christmas magic, no matter what
Bob’s father (aka Big Bob) just got a season 14 spotlight in last week’s “Wharf, Me Worry?”—but this earlier peek into their testy relationship adds the stress of the holidays into the mix. With Linda’s encouragement, as well as her repeated advice to let “Christmas magic” take over, father and son finally mend some decades-old wounds, with the show making the delightful choice to have their heart-to-heart while they’re both country line-dancing. (Season five, episode six, “Father of the Bob”).
It’s never too late to get off the naughty list
When Louise, Gene, and Tina (but mostly Louise) annoy a mall Santa (guest voice Henry Winkler), they panic when he threatens to report them to the “real” Santa. They decide the only way to get back in his good graces is to put on a show trumpeting all the nice things they’ve done all year. Naturally, things don’t go as planned—as Bob’s Burgers fans well know, the Belcher kids aren’t exactly known for their good deeds—but their determination wins him over anyway. (Season six, episode five, “Nice-Capades”)
“You can’t spell Christmas without us”
One of the strongest Bob’s Burgers Christmas episodes to date treads some familiar thematic ground—reiterating the importance of family, including found families in this case. But the episode also swerves into strange new territory when Bob’s pulled into Mr. Fischoeder’s annual gingerbread-building contest (featuring his rich, eccentric cronies), and Linda, Teddy, and the kids dare to go caroling at the spookiest house on the block. While nothing turns out as expected—the horror-inspired episode title proves an apt choice—it all ends up in the most (literally) warm and fuzzy way imaginable. (Season seven, episode seven, “The Last Gingerbread House on the Left”)
Don’t give up on Christmas—it won’t give up on you
The rare two-part Bob’s Burgers episode is needed to contain this madcap musical fairy tale. Linda’s hunt for her missing Christmas ornaments dovetails with the kids’ pursuit of a mythical anti-Santa: “the Bleaken.” When the Belchers discover who’s been stealing decorations around town, Linda’s initially furious—but she has a change of heart when she realises her ornaments have helped bring Christmas spirit to those who need it the most. Also, as Tina points out, all you need to defeat the Bleaken is a “tough, badass, positive can-do attitude.” (Season eight, episodes six and seven, “The Bleakening”)
Don’t fear the Knitcracker
The bulk of this episode follows the kids’ quest to sled despite the snowball-throwing bullies who insist on hogging the best hill in town, but the B-plot actually contains the more heartwarming lesson. Determined to make scarves as Christmas gifts, Linda despairs when Bob proves much better at knitting than she is—and really freaks out when the “Knitcracker,” a festive manifestation of her insecurities, stomps into her dreams to tell her how much she sucks at crafting. Turns out, of course, the kids love her wonky creation, and actually fight over who gets to wear it first. (Season nine, episode 10, “Better Off Sled”)
Open communication is always better than arguing
There’s definitely a prominent lesson elsewhere in this episode about respecting the rules of the U.S. Postal Service, but the moment when Tina suggests Bob encourage his dreaded in-laws to talk through their issues—rather than have the same silly argument over and over again—is a Belcher breakthrough. After massaging the situation further with a fake phone call so that Linda’s parents will believe Linda’s ne’er-do-well sister is actually incredibly wealthy, Bob achieves the impossible: peace on Earth, or at least in the family’s living room. (Season 10, episode 10, “Have Yourself a Maily Linda Christmas”).
Trust your instincts, but don’t go overboard
Bob and his neighborhood restaurant rival Jimmy Pesto have long hated each other’s guts—but as this episode shows, sometimes even the worst guy you know might surprise you. Sometimes, even a person as awful as Jimmy Pesto is capable of doing something nice, like recommending Bob for a prestigious catering gig. It takes them falling off a dock together for Bob to realise this; there’s also some self-serving motivation for Jimmy involved (of course), and it doesn’t do anything to mitigate their future beef. But the fact that it happens at all is something of a Christmas miracle. (Season 11, episode 10, “Yachty or Nice”)
Creativity can save the day
After Gene breaks his favorite Christmas record—the ultra-rare, ultra-funky, and ultra-annoying 1970s release Percy McTinsel-bud’s Tinsel Machine—and has an emotional meltdown, Tina and Louise set aside their deep loathing for the music to help him track down another copy. When that proves impossible, the other Belchers pool their limited talents to re-create the album, a selfless (if tuneless) act that earns the approval of the elusive Percy McTinsel-bud himself. (Season 12, episode 10, “Gene’s Christmas Break”)
“The best presents aren’t even wrapped up”
Bob and Linda face a nightmarish dilemma when all three kids have holiday recitals at the same time. Things get even more dire when Tina realises that Louise is secretly sad about not having her family in the audience—especially since she’s written an uncharacteristically sincere poem about them. Though the constraints of time and space mean not everyone gets to witness everyone else’s performance, the power of Christmas spirit means all the characters, and the audience too, achieve some major emotional uplift by the end of the episode. (Season 13, episode 10, “The Plight Before Christmas”)