The 14 BestSaturday Night LiveChristmas Sketches Over the Years

Mar. 15, 2025

Photo: Dana Edelson/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank/Getty

With 50 years of sketches to look back on, it’s no wonder that it’s a hot topic as to whichSaturday Night Livesketches are the best of all time. However, since it’sthe holiday season, it’s the right time to try to round up the Christmas sketches that really shine from the decades-old live sketch comedy show.From “D— in a Box” to “Glengarry Glen Christmas” to “You’re a Rat Bastard, Charlie Brown,” check out some of the bestSNLsketches below. (And if you’re wondering where the Sweeney Sisters are, Marc Shaiman noted that the videos don’t make it to YouTube for music rights issues — buthe shared a clip on his own Instagramfor theSNLChristmas sketch completit

With 50 years of sketches to look back on, it’s no wonder that it’s a hot topic as to whichSaturday Night Livesketches are the best of all time. However, since it’sthe holiday season, it’s the right time to try to round up the Christmas sketches that really shine from the decades-old live sketch comedy show.

From “D— in a Box” to “Glengarry Glen Christmas” to “You’re a Rat Bastard, Charlie Brown,” check out some of the bestSNLsketches below. (And if you’re wondering where the Sweeney Sisters are, Marc Shaiman noted that the videos don’t make it to YouTube for music rights issues — buthe shared a clip on his own Instagramfor theSNLChristmas sketch completit

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‘D— in a Box’

02of 14’I Wish It Was Christmas Today’Jimmy Fallonbroke (started giggling) almost the second this sketch kicked off, which was part of what made it such an instant classic. Co-starring Horatio Sanz,Chris KattanandTracy Morgan, the “I Wish It Was Christmas Today” first aired in season 26, but has been brought back several times over the years.

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‘I Wish It Was Christmas Today’

Jimmy Fallonbroke (started giggling) almost the second this sketch kicked off, which was part of what made it such an instant classic. Co-starring Horatio Sanz,Chris KattanandTracy Morgan, the “I Wish It Was Christmas Today” first aired in season 26, but has been brought back several times over the years.

03of 14"Best Christmas Ever"Matt DamonandCecily Strongtapped into the realities of being a parent during Christmas Day in this sketch that aired when Damon hosted in 2018.

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“Best Christmas Ever”

Matt DamonandCecily Strongtapped into the realities of being a parent during Christmas Day in this sketch that aired when Damon hosted in 2018.

04of 14’Home for the Holidays’And whenEddie Murphyhosted in 2019, he played a family patriarch showing the realities of having a full house during the holidays.

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‘Home for the Holidays’

And whenEddie Murphyhosted in 2019, he played a family patriarch showing the realities of having a full house during the holidays.

05of 14’Glengarry Glen Christmas: Elf Motivation’Alec Baldwinbrought some of hisGlengarry Glen Rosssass to the North Pole to motivate some very tired elves and remind them, “Always. Be. Cobbling.”

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‘Glengarry Glen Christmas: Elf Motivation’

Alec Baldwinbrought some of hisGlengarry Glen Rosssass to the North Pole to motivate some very tired elves and remind them, “Always. Be. Cobbling.”

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‘NPR’s Delicious Dish: Schweddy Balls’

08of 14’Steve Martin’s Holiday Wish List’In this season 12 sketch,Steve Martindecides to use the tradition of making a Christmas wish list to his own benefit. The skit was so iconic, he brought it back when he hosted in 2009.

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‘Steve Martin’s Holiday Wish List’

In this season 12 sketch,Steve Martindecides to use the tradition of making a Christmas wish list to his own benefit. The skit was so iconic, he brought it back when he hosted in 2009.

09of 14’Debbie Downer: Christmas Eve with Santa Claus’Not even Santa could get Debbie Downer to cheer up in this funny sketch starringRachel DratchandJack Black.

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‘Debbie Downer: Christmas Eve with Santa Claus’

Not even Santa could get Debbie Downer to cheer up in this funny sketch starringRachel DratchandJack Black.

10of 14’Christmas Miracle’While her friends Sharon (Cecily Strong) and Doug (Casey Affleck) are having a miraculous Christmas encounter with Santa, Kate McKinnon’s Ms. Rafferty is on a completely separate and extremely strange ride of her own.

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‘Christmas Miracle’

While her friends Sharon (Cecily Strong) and Doug (Casey Affleck) are having a miraculous Christmas encounter with Santa, Kate McKinnon’s Ms. Rafferty is on a completely separate and extremely strange ride of her own.

11of 14'(Do It On My) Twin Bed’Starting a genre that inspired theequally classic Thanksgiving-themed “Back Home Ballers,“the ladies ofSNLgave us the girl group we didn’t know we needed with this 2014 bop, an ode about the difficulties of getting horizontal during the holidays.

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‘(Do It On My) Twin Bed’

Starting a genre that inspired theequally classic Thanksgiving-themed “Back Home Ballers,“the ladies ofSNLgave us the girl group we didn’t know we needed with this 2014 bop, an ode about the difficulties of getting horizontal during the holidays.

12of 14’You’re a Rat Bastard Charlie Brown’Tired of all the cheery family entertainment? This 2012 sketch encourages you to head to the theater and catch a sobering take on Charlie Brown with the fictitious New York Actor’s Studio’sYou’re a Rat Bastard, Charlie Brown.

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‘You’re a Rat Bastard Charlie Brown’

Tired of all the cheery family entertainment? This 2012 sketch encourages you to head to the theater and catch a sobering take on Charlie Brown with the fictitious New York Actor’s Studio’sYou’re a Rat Bastard, Charlie Brown.

13of 14’Christmas Morning’Moms everywhere related to the loving but exasperated character Kristen Wiig plays in this musical sketch from 2021. Her kids and husband open up gift after gift, as it becomes obvious to her that she got one thing from all of them: A robe. On sale. You’ll be humming it to yourself as you try to get Christmas breakfast ready in, yep, your robe.

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‘Christmas Morning’

Moms everywhere related to the loving but exasperated character Kristen Wiig plays in this musical sketch from 2021. Her kids and husband open up gift after gift, as it becomes obvious to her that she got one thing from all of them: A robe. On sale. You’ll be humming it to yourself as you try to get Christmas breakfast ready in, yep, your robe.

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‘Christmastime for the Jews’

source: people.com