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In the realm of classic sitcoms, Friends stands as an evergreen favorite, and when it comes to festive cheer, the show delivers with its delightful Christmas episodes. Across its 10-season run, Friends crafted memorable holiday moments, each contributing to the show's enduring appeal. Except for Season 10, every season contains a Christmas episode, and Season 7 has two.
As fans embark on a nostalgic journey through these episodes, the enduring magic of the show shines through. In this article, we journey through the Friends Christmas episodes in release order, revisiting the laughter and warmth that these episodes brought to fans over the years.
The One With the Monkey - season 1, episode 10
In this Friends Christmas episode, we encountered one of the most beloved characters: Marcel the Capuchin Monkey. Ross had adopted the capuchin because he was tired of being lonely and didn't want to get a roommate. In the events leading up to their party, the gang had vowed not to bring a date, but they all broke their promise, except for Ross - who had brought Marcel.
The One With Phoebe’s Dad - season 2, episode 9
Being low on cash, Monica and Rachel had decided to gift cookies instead of money to the paperboy, mailman, and superintendent as Christmas presents, which did not go as they intended, receiving crushed papers and packages in return.
Phoebe had made the shocking discovery that what little she knew about her biological father was wrong. Her grandmother had told her where he lived. Phoebe had brought Chandler and Joey with her to meet him, but she had decided she wasn't ready at the last minute.
The One Where Rachel Quits - season 3, episode 10
In this Christmas episode, Gunther tries to retain Rachel’s services as a waitress, but she decides it is time for a change and quits her job at Central Perk. Ross accidentally broke a girl scout’s leg and had to help her sell Brown Bird Cookies.
The One With the Girl from Poughkeepsie - season 4, episode 10
Ross started dating a girl who lived in Poughkeepsie but is concerned about the travel required. Chandler agrees to set Rachel up with a holiday fling. When his coworkers realize that, he starts getting bribes for the opportunity.
Monica doesn’t feel respected at work, so she hires Joey so she can fire him. He ends up loving the job and refuses cooperation. Phoebe works her hardest to create the perfect Christmas song for her friends, and Joey breaks his previous record for the number of Oreos in his mouth at once.
The One With the Inappropriate Sister - season 5, episode 10
Ross got bored when he had time off from work, so he agreed to help Joey write his movie. Rachel went out with Danny, and all seemed to be going well until she discovered he was uncomfortably close to his sister.
The One With the Routine - season 6, episode 10
Janine was hired to perform at the pre-taping of Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve. She invited Joey, Ross, and Monica to join. Ross and Monica were so excited about their chance to be on TV. But the camera tried to avoid them, as they weren’t quite as good at dancing as they thought they were.
The One With All the Candy - season 7, episode 9
The first involved Ross’s son Ben getting a big kid bike. Phoebe admitted that she had never had her own bike. Ross gifted her one, but it became very clear very quickly that she had never learned to ride.
Monica decided she wanted to be closer to her neighbors, so she made homemade candy to share. This turned out to be a mistake, as she couldn’t keep up with the mob outside her door.
The One With the Holiday Armadillo - season 7, episode 10
Ross’s son Ben spent the holidays with him, so Ross decided he was going to teach Ben about Hanukkah. Ben panicked because he couldn’t imagine a holiday without Santa. Ross tried to get a Santa costume but they were all rented out, so Ross got an armadillo costume instead.
Rachel was living temporarily with Joey, and Phoebe feared Rachel wouldn’t want to move back in with her when the apartment was done, so she gave Joey a drum set and tarantula to make living with Joey look less appealing.
The One With Ross’s Step Forward - season 8, episode 11
Ross’s girlfriend Mona wanted to send out Christmas cards of them together, which made Ross panic, as he wasn’t sure where their relationship was going. Monica and Chandler were supposed to go out with Chandler’s boss for dinner, whom Monica hated.
Chandler tried to back out of dinner, panicked, and said he wanted to cancel because he and Monica broke up. Chandler’s recently divorced boss jumped on the opportunity and took him out to strip clubs.
The One With Christmas in Tulsa - season 9, episode 10
Chandler needed to spend Christmas in Tulsa to finish up the paperwork for his job. He made the realization that he was the only one in the core friend group who hated their work.
Wendy made a pass at him, and when he refused, she asked why he wasn’t spending his Christmas with his wife. He had a crisis and decided to quit his job and return to New York.
Friends: A Sitcom Legacy
Created by David Crane and Marta Kauffman, the show features an ensemble cast, including Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, Matthew Perry, and David Schwimmer.
Set in Manhattan, New York City, it revolves around six friends in their 20s and early 30s. Originally produced by Kevin S. Bright, Kauffman, and Crane, Friends achieved significant success, ranking in the top ten for several seasons and reaching the number-one spot in its eighth season.
Throughout its run, Friends received critical acclaim, earning numerous Emmy nominations and winning Outstanding Comedy Series in 2002. The series finale, watched by around 52.5 million viewers, stands as the fifth-most-watched in television history.
The show is hailed as one of the greatest TV series, with recognitions on lists like TV Guide's 50 Greatest TV Shows of All Time and Empire magazine's The 50 Greatest TV Shows of All Time. The cast reunited for Friends: The Reunion, a special released on HBO Max in May 2021.
Friends is available on various streaming platforms like Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, and HBO Max.
