Top 10 Best Saturday Night Live Christmas Sketches EVER
#10: “Mister Robinson’s Neighborhood: Christmas”
Eddie Murphy’s ghetto-ized spoof of the extremely wholesome “Mister Rogers' Neighborhood” TV show was a hit on SNL during the 80s. Murphy’s Mr. Robinson appeared a total of nine times over the span of four years on the late-night show, and the character’s final appearance in 1984 is perhaps the best of all, as he upended the idea that Christmas is merely the season for giving. Oh no… For Mr. Robinson, it’s all about taking: taking the hard-earned money of naïve holiday shoppers, that is! Through the miracle of modern science, Mr. Robinson hilariously turns regular dolls into trendy Cabbage Patch dolls to sell to unwitting suckers and makes a lot of, ahem!, CABBAGE in the process. Tis the Season to make that dolla!
#9: “Best Christmas Ever”
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While hosting the show in 2018, Matt Damon teamed with Cecily Strong in tearing down the notion that family holidays are the things that Hallmark cards are made of; and – instead – gave us a hilarious glimpse into the anxiety and stress that underlies the madness that is Christmas Day. The stark contrast between the couple happily snuggling on the couch and reminiscing about their wonderful day, to their ACTUAL experience of getting woken up at 5:00 am and having to endure their in-laws is sure to strike a chord with parents everywhere – a chord of terror, that is! Getting older sure adds a lot of responsibility to the holiday season. Ahhh, to be a kid again!
#8: “The Night Hanukkah Harry Saved Christmas”
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A lot of unlikely people have saved Christmas over the years, but Hanukkah Harry takes the fruitcake. Played by Jon Lovitz, Harry takes time out from his busy Hanukkah schedule to deliver toys to good gentile girls and boys. With a mislead hero at the helm, the skit hilariously mixes Jewish and Christian traditions – like replacing Santa’s reindeer with donkeys named Moisha, Hershel, and Schlomo. In fact, the blending of these two religious traditions was such a hit that Harry later returned to save Easter that same season of “SNL.”
#7: “Christmastime for the Jews”
This TV Funhouse skit took its inspiration from classic Rankin/Bass Christmas specials and added some good old-fashioned 1950s-era music to answer the age-old question: Just what do Jewish people do on Christmas Day when all the Christians are indoors celebrating? Well, they’re having their own holiday of course: not waiting in lines at the cinema, playing Barbra Streisand as loud as they want, and watching re-runs of “The Daily Show” while having a bit too much to drink. Essentially, they’re having a blast! Also, seeing as Christmas Day is right in the middle of Hanukkah, it’s like a holiday within a holiday for our Jewish friends and neighbors. Like the song says, it’s the most wonderful time of the year... for the Jews!
#6: “Consumer Probe”
Irwin Mainway is a sleazy toymaker who has little regard for the safety of children. He’s constantly taken to task for his harmful products, and his Christmas lineup of quote-unquote “toys” may be his most dangerous (and hilarious) yet! When we think of Christmas, we think of kids getting things like stuffed animals, G.I. Joes and Barbie dolls… Not bags of broken glass or action figures that turn into switchblades. And yet, Mr. Mainway sees it differently! His attempts to justify his ‘Bag O’ Glass’ and ‘Johnny Switchblade’ products are the heart of the sketch, as it’s clear that the only thing he cares about is making a buck. He’s literally the antithesis of Christmas and makes for the perfect Grinch Who Stole Decency!
#5: “Steve Martin’s Holiday Wish”
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Let’s face it… Steve Martin has it all: Riches, fame, success, talent… we could go on. So, when it comes to making a Christmastime wish – a prayer for humanity during the most charitable time of the year – surely Mr. Martin would think of others and wish happiness for them all? Well… kind of… He starts off great, wishing for world peace, but then it quickly devolves into an epic ego trip of greed and power-mongering. They say there’s a little truth in every joke and this sketch is a perfect look at society’s desire for more, more, more at Christmastime, which is the exact opposite of the true nature of the season. Bah Humbug, Steve!
#4: “I Wish It Was Christmas Today”
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We can’t imagine the Top Dogs at “SNL” envisioned this silly Christmas song taking off the way it did when it premiered back in 2000. And, yet, here we are! It’s grown from a throwaway Seasons Greetings message before the commercial break to a legit Christmastime favorite. It’s even been re-enacted on “The Tonight Show” featuring a silent Ariana Grande alongside the original players. There’s just something so innocent and child-like about it (especially with Jimmy Fallon nearly cracking up countless times throughout), and – really – isn’t that what the Holidays are all about? Feeling like a kid again? Yes, it’s hilarious and a tad goofy, but it’s also genuinely touching and entertaining as well! It’s definitely on our Christmastime playlist.
#3: “...in a Box”
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Here’s an old-school throwback to R&B holiday songs that takes one very important question – “what do women really want for Christmas?” – and gives us an answer NO ONE expected. Basically, the song replaces that bright, shiny diamond in a box with something else altogether… and it ain’t a gift card! To say this SNL Digital Short went viral would be an understatement, seeing as it won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics the following year in 2007. Yes, “Dick in a Box” has an Emmy… Also, it led Justin Timberlake to become a favorite go-to guest during the holiday season, appearing in other popular Christmas skits like “Wrappinville” with Jimmy Fallon.
#2: “The Chanukah Song”
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Long before “Dick in a Box” and “I Wish It Was Christmas Today,” there was one “SNL” holiday song that ruled the airwaves during the month of December and became its own viral hit (long before there was even such a thing as viral hits!). Adam Sandler’s “Chanukah Song” was the comic’s attempt to give Jews their very own Christmas song to enjoy during the holidays, seeing as Christmas had so many popular songs and Hanukkah had so few. And, the response was enormous, as the song actually became a holiday favorite for BOTH Christmas and Hanukkah. And, it was a commercial success as well, going Gold in 1996, which led to more versions of the song being recorded over the years. Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions: “Serial: The Christmas Surprise” “Two A-Holes Buying a Christmas Tree” “Sump’n Claus” “The Christmas Candle” “Visit with Santa Cold Open”
#1: “Schweddy Balls”
No one can resist Pete Schweddy’s “Schweddy” balls… just like no one can resist this all-time classic “SNL” Christmas skit. It’s a riff on popular NPR-style cooking shows where hosts and guests trade boring recipes in an almost comatose-like cadence. But, on this show, Pete’s wonderful balls took center stage (ehhh… Christmas balls, that is!), and the female hosts just couldn’t get enough of them! – turning a once-dull cooking show into an absurd romp full of innuendos. While the sketch is brilliantly written, the real MVPs of this skit obviously go out to Alec Baldwin, Ana Gasteyer, and Molly Shannon for keeping straight faces while imagining all the ways in which they’d enjoy themselves some “Schweddy” balls during the Holiday Season.
