The holiday can often be a very nostalgic time for hoi polloi , and nothing bring back flowage of childhood computer storage quite like old cartoons . For people of all ages , rewatching TV shows from their childhoods can unlock old memories of holidays go by . Cartoons seem particularly well - suit to this , for whatever rationality , so animated shows from 20 or 30 years ago are always bully for Christmas viewing .

Plenty of old recreate shows had Christmas specials or other vacation episodes at some head , and there were some running stem . pertain back to an senior generation of Christmas liveliness , a lot of these cartoons use poesy and euphony , even if this is all unusual for the show in question . These are just a couple of quirks which can make Christmas sequence fend out from animated appearance , and this gives them a powerful nostalgia gene .

10Animaniacs - “‘Twas The Day Before Christmas”

Season 1, Episode 50

Before theAnimaniacsrevival , the show delivered just two season of irreverent , fast - pace sketch humor . The segment in each installment alter wildly in length , with some call for up an intact episode and others lasting a minute or less . " ' Twas the 24-hour interval Before Christmas " is under five transactions long , but it tell a full story about Ralph T. Guard squeezing into a Santa suit of clothes to deliver present to Yakko , Wakko and Dot up in the Warner Bros. water system tower .

Within just a few short instant , the section bear witness glimpse of many of the bestAnimaniacscharacters .

" ' Twas the twenty-four hour period Before Christmas " follows the metre of Clement Clarke Moore ’s famous Christmas verse form , and the rewrite draws a lot of puncher line out of the intentionally ungainly rhyming . Within just a few curt minutes , the special shows glimpse of many of the bestAnimaniacscharacters from other regular section , including The Hip Hippos , Rita and Runt , and Pinky and the Brain , of course . It ’s a short but sweet monitor of the mercurial temper of a heavy vivify sketch show .

Split image of Hart of Dixie, The Office and Friends

9SpongeBob SquarePants - “Christmas Who?”

Season 2, Episode 8

" Christmas Who ? " tells the story of the first Christmas in Bikini Bottom , when SpongeBob get a line about the farming - based tradition from Sandy . There have been a fewChristmas installment ofSpongeBob SquarePantsover the age , including a new special in 2024 , but " Christmas Who ? " still ranks as one of the best , and it ’s probably the most nostalgic too . " Christmas Who ? " stand out because of the first live - legal action coming into court of Tom Kenny ’s Patchy the Pirate , who put in the news report .

" Christmas Who ? " stands out because of the first live - action visual aspect of Tom Kenny ’s Patchy the Pirate , who introduce the story .

SpongeBob scald the entire town into a frenzy when he promises them that Santa Claus will arrive and give them all gift , but the resident physician of Bikini Bottom ride out up all dark vocalizing for no reason . “Christmas Who ? " is a majuscule Squidward episode , not only for the way that his grinch - alike facade crumbles when he start to feel sorry for SpongeBob , but also for the gonzo close , in which a live - action Santa waving to him from his sleigh . This is the kind of antic that ’s probably even funnier for old audiences .

Danny Phantom with a Colorful COmic background

8Hey Arnold! - “Arnold’s Christmas”

Season 1, Episode 11

" Arnold ’s Christmas " is twice as long as most other episodes ofHey Arnold , which gives it the feeling of a reliable Christmas special . It ’s also more emotionally resonant than the show ’s average fare . Hey Arnoldgets deep at time , but " Arnold ’s Christmas " takes things to a newfangled levelby delving into Mr. Hyunh ’s tragic past times in Vietnam . Arnold and Gerald go on a last - bit shopping trip across Ithiel Town so that they can chance his long - lost daughter .

Every smashing goggle box show test its manus at a Christmas instalment , but which are the best ? From Black Mirror to Gilmore Girls , here are the top 20 .

" Arnold ’s Christmas " balances out this lowering story about take flight a warzone and emigrating alone to a alien land with a subplot about Helga attempt to find Arnold the perfect present that will make him come in sexual love with her . This all comes together in the remnant , creating a tearjerker of a finale that cement the installment as a Christmas classic . It was groundbreaking at the clip for its depiction of the Vietnam War from a Vietnamese perspective , and it ’s still a potent episode that show whatHey Arnoldis capable of .

A look at Bubbles, Blossom, and Buttercup in the live-action Powerpuff Girls

7Invader Zim - “The Most Horrible X-mas Ever”

Season 2, Episode 1

Invader Zimis one of thebest Nickelodeon cartoons , even though it was sadly canceled before the end of its 2nd season . Its strange animation , humor and boundary - pushing cognitive content made it fend out from anything else on children ’s TV at the time , and it has become a strange cult classic . " The Most Horrible X - AM Ever " may take place at Christmas , but it does n’t compromise onInvader Zim ’s unique approach . It is n’t a typical warm - and - bleary Christmas special .

" The Most Horrible X - Massachusetts Ever " may take spot at Christmas , but it does n’t compromise onInvader Zim ’s unique advance .

Just like with many of the bestInvader Zimepisodes , " The Most frightful X - Mas Ever " point that humans are uncanny than any alien , as humankind ’s lovemaking of Christmas quickly return into a rabid , ego - destructive cult . Zim impersonates Santa to enslave human race , but his plan backfire , as it always does . It ’s a great episode on its own merit , and the Christmas mount imply that it can be watched every holiday season . It ’s easy to rule new gag cram in on every rewatch .

Imagery-from-Animaniacs-and-SpongeBob-SquarePants

Custom image by Yeider Chacon

6Danny Phantom - “The Fright Before Christmas”

Season 2, Episode 10

After a brief introduction , almost the integrality of " The Fright Before Christmas " is spoken in rime to mimic the poem that the title takes its name from . It ’s an unusualDanny Phantomepisode in that paying attention , but the Christmas special still offer a lot of what the show does intimately . There ’s plenty of supernatural action and a lot of fun humor . Danny finds himself trapped in a Christmas poem written by an evil writer who can curb the cosmos around him .

Certain Nickelodeon cartoon like Danny Phantom are begging for a live - action movie .

The manifest interpreter ofBoJack Horseman , Will Arnett , have a fun guest appearance as the Ghost Writer in " The Fright Before Christmas” . The episode also features most of the great villain fromDanny Phantom , such as Skulker , Ember McLain and Box Ghost , all of whom portion out an yearly armistice on Christmas . There ’s a abbreviated battle royale among these villain , but they rapidly turn their tending toward Ghost Writer and spare Christmas . It ’s a playfulness change of pace to see these theatrical role in a different light source .

5The Grim Adventures Of Billy & Mandy - “Billy & Mandy Save Christmas”

Season 4, Episode 14

In keeping with the show ’s macabre style , The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandydelivered one of the most unusual Christmas episode of all time . The two - part special " Billy and Mandy Save Christmas " have a vampire Santa Claus . Its benighted story would make more sense as a Halloween special in some way , but this is just whatThe Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandyis all about .

Gilbert Gottfried exercise his resplendent comedic screeching as Santa , and he is bring together by Carol Kane and Malcolm McDowell .

" Billy and Mandy Save Christmas " features a astonishingly telling dramatis personae of Edgar Albert Guest star . Gilbert Gottfried exercises his glorious comedic screeching as Santa , and he is joined by Carol Kane and Malcolm McDowell . They help make " Billy and Mandy Save Christmas " a double episode to commemorate . It ’s a Christmas special that manages to cosset in a piddling cheer amidst the spooky horror and deadpan funniness of Mandy .

4Codename Kids Next Door - “Operation N.A.U.G.H.T.Y.”

Season 5, Episode 2

Codename Kids Next Dooroften pokes play at the espionage music genre , but " Operation N.A.U.G.H.T.Y. " also has time for a superhero parody , as Santa ’s elves team up to save Christmas while looking like the X - humankind . As is so often the eccentric , the villains of the episode are the Delightful Children From Down the Lane , the evil opposite number of the Kids Next Door who seem to share a malevolent hivemind .

Codename Kids Next Dooroften pokes playfulness at the espionage genre , but " Operation N.A.U.G.H.T.Y. " also has time for a superhero parody .

Amid the festive action and mind - scrambling havoc of the main plot , " Operation N.A.U.G.H.T.Y. " follows Wally and Kuki ’s mutual crush , as the two Kids Next Door agents finally get together . This ensures thatthe bumper Christmas special leaves its mark on the show , but it ’s mostly remembered for Santa and his Elfa Squad scrap agains the Delightful Children From Down the Lane .

3Darkwing Duck - “It’s A Wonderful Leaf”

Season 1, Episode 41

" It ’s a Wonderful leafage " focuses on Bushroot , one ofDarkwing Duck ’s goofiest and most fun villains . Bushroot cooks up a plan to misrepresent Christmas trees into ruin the holiday by steal gift , make children cry and generally causing a nuisance . It ’s the form of comparatively miserable - stakes design that Bushroot usually organise , and the kind of plan that sends Darkwing Duck into his most dysfunctional and incompetent state .

Although there ’s plenty of action and a healthy Cupid’s disease of slapstick , the episode ends with a heartwarming festive message .

Bushroot ’s light-green plumage give him the ideal grinch look that suit the secret plan . He take Darkwing Duck and Launchpad McQuack in a Salmon P. Chase across town , although the duette are saddled by Gosalyn and Honker , until the Salmon Portland Chase culminate in a fight with an army of enormous humanlike Christmas Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree . Although there ’s plenty of action and a healthy dose of slapstick , the episode ends with a heartwarming festive message that become the rubric .

2Kim Possible - “A Very Possible Christmas”

Season 2, Episode 16

Kim Possibleis one ofDisney ’s best animated showsever , and its high - tech undercover agent spoofing has take on a delightful retrofuturist magical spell over the age , which only adds to the nostalgic quality . “A Very Possible Christmas " includes all the show ’s well abide characters , as Dr. Drakken think up another half - baked scheme to take over the earthly concern while Kim is enjoying Christmas Eve with her family .

" A Very Possible Christmas " has plenty ofKim Possible ’s fast - paced action .

When Ron conk out after Dr. Drakken alone , his gift of a stress - free Christmas for Kim and her mob quickly backfire . " A Very Possible Christmas " has plenty ofKim Possible ’s fast - pace action , including a rocket salad - power snowboard following , a slugfest on display board a spaceship and a fight with a jumbo Eunectes murinus in the Amazon rainforest , but it balances this out with the uproarious bromance between Ron and Dr. Drakken , one of the show ’s funniest running laugh .

1The Powerpuff Girls - “‘Twas The Fight Before Christmas”

Season 5, Episode 4

The Powerpuff Girlsis still one ofCartoon internet ’s best shows , and there have often been calls for a reboot , not to cite the scrapped live - action show from just a few year ago . The show has no dearth of iconic bad cat , from Mojo Jojo to HIM , and Princess Morbucks is the villain of the day in " ' Twas the fighting Before Christmas , " as she plans to steal Christmas and once again sneak in herself as the 4th Powerpuff Girl .

Diablo Cody , a co - writer on the scrapped Powerpuff Girls reboot , look back on the leak book fiasco and clarifies what story she wanted to tell .

One of the most memorable episodes ofThe Powerpuff Girlsis " Stuck Up , Up and Away , " which introduce Princess as a spoiled brat who attempt to buy her mode into have superpowers . " ' Twas the Fight Before Christmas " repeat a few of the same idea , but it ’s a much longer instalment with a lot more going for it . Princess actually gets her superpower this clock time , and it makes for some delightful battle scenes .