"Saturday Night Live" is so good at sending up Christmas and all its trappings that it's difficult to pick a favorite from among the show's decades of spot-on holiday sketches. There's so much to poke fun of when it comes to Christmas: Dysfunctional families, our collective obsession with the sanctity of the season and, lest we forget, the mere idea of Santa Claus. The show has mined all of it across unforgettable sketches throughout the years. Below, we spotlight what we think are the best SNL Christmas skits of all time.
Our ranking of the top 10 funniest sketches includes a little bit of every type of comedy. You'll find a brilliant Hallmark Christmas movie send-up starring James Franco, as well as a couple spot-on parody songs. And for the culture vultures out there, we included a couple sketches that recreate iconic movie scenes in the most imaginative ways possible. (What would a best SNL Christmas skits list be without at least one fake film trailer?) The following picks represent the best in Christmas sketch comedy. Whether they're a quick or lengthy watch, a contemporary hit or a certified classic — these skits say what you've been thinking and call out the wackiness of an aggressively involved holiday in the most brilliant (and hilarious) ways. We dare you not to crack a smile.
Need a little holiday cheer in your life? Consider this ranking your primer to a perfectly imperfect Christmas season. Watch these top 10 best SNL Christmas skits, and maybe all that anxiety around making the most of the holiday will go poof... maybe. One can dream, anyways.
James Franco in "Hallmark Channel Christmas Promo"
This Hallmark Christmas movie parody from 2017 features James Franco as a Hallmark hunk named Chris Bearstick. A series of fake Hallmark movie teasers hit on virtually every well-worn trope the network has to offer. At one point, "Yes, Santa" leading lady Jessica Normal (Kate McKinnon) completely forgets about her fiancé back in the city: "He works too much, so it's okay if I cheat on him!"
Eddie Murphy in "Home for the Holidays"
"SNL" alum Eddie Murphy's return to Studio 8H was a long time coming, and this side-splitting 2019 sketch was worth the wait. He delivers a touching Christmas dinner speech to his visiting family. Between each heartwarming line, we cut to vignettes of all the relatives getting on each other's last nerve. Kenan's sleepy grandpa and Cecily Strong's wine-drunk mom are highlights.
Emma Stone in "The Christmas Candle"
In 2016, Emma Stone and the women of "SNL" joined forces for this too-accurate '80s-style music video. It's an ode to re-gifting that one dusty candle that's been sitting in your closet for years. The hair reaches high heaven, there's a soft filter over classic wintry scenes and the harmonizing is actually no joke.
Ryan Gosling in "Santa Baby"
This 2015 sketch features Ryan Gosling and Vanessa Bayer as a couple of weirdos who are convinced that Santa Claus will appear at their neighborhood Christmas party. It's like when psychopaths hold an entire household hostage in horror movies, and it includes an all-timer Gosling freakout scene.
Alec Baldwin in "Glengarry Glen Christmas: Elf Motivation"
This 2013 "Glengarry Glen Ross" parody finds a ruthless Alec Baldwin terrorizing the elves in Santa's workshop with threats, dehumanizing insults and emotional abuse: "You see this gumdrop? This gumdrop costs more than the mushroom you call a house."
Jack Black in "Debbie Downer: Christmas Eve with Santa Claus"
Rachel Dratch's classic Debbie Downer bit gets a hilarious Christmas twist in this 2005 sketch. Debbie finds Santa Claus (Jack Black) in her living room on Christmas Eve, and even the jolliest man of all needs a stiff drink after listening to her endlessly depressing factoids.
Jason Bateman and Eminem in "Stu"
Pete Davidson parodies Eminem's "Stan" in this 2020 skit about a deranged man who just wants Santa (Jason Bateman) to gift him a PS5 for Christmas. Bowen Yang cameos as Sir Elton John, and Eminem himself makes a surprise appearance at the end.
Casey Affleck in "Dunkin Donuts"
Boston native Casey Affleck is a stereotypical Southie named Donny in this fake Dunkin' Donuts holiday commercial. He smokes inside the store, picks fights with fellow customers and comes up with a drink called "Vanilla Nut Taps." It's perfection.
Alec Baldwin in "NPR's Delicious Dish: Schweddy Balls"
This iconic 1998 sketch remains the best NPR parody of all time. Ana Gasteyer and Molly Shannon perfectly capture the breathy weirdness of NPR's ASMR-worthy radio hosts. Alec Baldwin brings down the house as a baker named Pete Schweddy, who's on the program to promote his dessert balls.
"Hillary Actually"
Kate McKinnon is pitch-perfect as Hillary Clinton in this ingenious December 2016 parody of "Love Actually." The former Secretary of State shows up at Cecily Strong's house ready to recreate Andrew Lincoln and Keira Knightley's iconic cards on the doorstep scene: "At Christmas, you tell the truth. I know you're an elector." It's brilliant in its simplicity.
