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10 Best 'SNL' Christmas Sketches of the 2010s, Ranked

By J.S. Gornael
From Collider

10 Best 'SNL' Christmas Sketches of the 2010s, Ranked

Christmastime is upon us, and there are many different ways to celebrate: decorating the tree, constructing gingerbread houses, listening to Christmas music, watching classic Christmas movies, and more. One should remember that holiday joy can come in the form of laughter, which is where Saturday Night Live comes in. It's that time of year when the classic comedy show comes out with new sketches about the holidays, and there are sure to be at least a few funny ones this season.

Whether it's with a hilarious spin on "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus," a Hallmark movie dating show, or a star-studded Michael Bublé album, SNL has been able to successfully lampoon various cultural phenomena surrounding this beloved holiday for five decades. There's always something else about Christmas to make fun of, and there are so many good SNL sketches about it now that it's hard to choose the greatest of them. However, choosing the best skits from a particular decade is more manageable. With cast members including Kate McKinnon, Aidy Bryant, Beck Bennett, and more, the 2010s were just as good with holiday sketches as any other decade. They could be taking a grounded approach or embracing full-blown absurdity, but the 10 best sketches from that decade pay homage to this special time of year in funnier fashion than most media.

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*Availability in US

Release Date October 11, 1975

Seasons 50

Network NBC

Directors Lorne Michaels

Cast Leslie Jones , Aidy Bryant , Kyle Mooney , Alex Moffat , Kate McKinnon , Beck Bennett , Kenan Thompson , Colin Jost , Mikey Day , Cecily Strong , Michael Che , Pete Davidson , Melissa Villaseñor

Franchise snl

Story By Colin Jost

Writers Colin Jost

Streaming Service(s) Peacock

Showrunner Lorne Michaels

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10 "The Christmas Candle"

Season 42, Episode 8

The holidays can be difficult to navigate sometimes, especially when you're socially obliged to give someone a gift and don't know what to get them or don't have the time to figure it out. Emma Stone, Kate McKinnon, and Aidy Bryant present a solution: the Christmas Candle. It's a candle that someone gifted to you some time ago, and it comes in handy when you don't have to put much effort into giving someone a gift yourself.

"The Christmas Candle" is an unforgettable parody of 90s music videos and a practical breakdown of how these extremely forgettable gifts wind up being used.

"The Christmas Candle" is an unforgettable parody of 90s music videos and a practical breakdown of how these extremely forgettable gifts wind up being used. Whether you have to give someone at work a gift or someone suddenly gives you a present out of the blue, and you need to immediately reciprocate the gesture, the Christmas Candle is there. It can be in your bag, in your closet, anywhere -- and it gets passed along endlessly without ever being used as an actual candle. After all, what's more convenient than having "the gift of having a gift to give away"?

9 "St. Joseph's Christmas Mass Spectacular"

Season 40, Episode 9

"St. Joseph's Christmas Mass Spectacular" is for everyone who only goes to mass on a holiday, as it can be an underwhelming experience. This sketch comes in the form of an exciting commercial, which hilariously tries to make everything look more fun than it is. Pastor Pat keeps singing at different speeds; there's a guy who shakes your hand with an extremely sweaty palm; and there's a teenager who doesn't believe in God but has to go to church with his parents anyway.

This sketch comes in the form of an exciting commercial, which hilariously tries to make everything look more fun than it is.

This also makes fun of the one person in the choir who tries extra hard to sing despite not being very good, as well as the hymns that take so long to sing as a whole. These insights are so specific that it feels like the SNL writers came together with a long list of things they noticed at Christmas mass and put the best ones in there. This is one of those sketches that uses relatable experiences to draw laughter, and it succeeds the whole way through.

8 "(Do It On My) Twin Bed"

Season 39, Episode 10

SNL is often very good with its musical entries. This one is about adult women bringing their boyfriends to their parents' house for the holidays and finding it exceptionally difficult to have sex in their old rooms. The song itself has a sexy vibe, which works so well because the situation itself is far from that. As the title "(Do It On My) Twin Bed" suggests, the bed is very small for two people; but it's the only option they have to get freaky.

As the title "(Do It On My) Twin Bed" suggests, the bed is very small for two people; but it's the only option they have to get freaky.

Other issues inevitably arise, amounting to a memorable ode to coming home for the holidays. Great moments include a series of actual childhood photos of the cast and SNL-veteran Jimmy Fallon going off on a riff where he complains about how hard it is to close his girlfriend's bedroom door. Along with an amusing comparison to Winnie the Pooh, this female-driven sketch is another example of SNL proving why it's one of the most iconic sketch comedy shows ever made.

7 "Sump'n Claus"

Season 40, Episode 9

Made it onto Santa's naughty list? Don't fret! Sump'n Claus (Kenan Thompson as one of his funniest characters) has you covered. Dressed like a holiday pimp, Sump'n Claus appears out of nowhere with an envelope full of cold hard cash he got from shady sources. Everyone who gets a visit from Sump'n Claus is a happy camper. His theme music plays the whole time, and it couldn't be better.

Dressed like a holiday pimp, Sump'n Claus appears out of nowhere with an envelope full of cold hard cash he got from shady sources.

Watching him dance is entertaining enough on its own, but he has a lot of funny things to point out. Apparently, Santa Claus once hit somebody with his sleigh. Sump'n Claus also thinks its weird that his nemesis sees you when you're sleeping. Along with amusing examples of people getting on Santa's bad side, Sump'n Claus' origin story, and that list of people he's going to visit, this silly sketch feels like a gift every time you watch it.

6 "Santa & The Elves"

Season 41, Episode 7

Santa's Elves (Keenan Thompson, Vanessa Bayer, and Ryan Gosling) want to be punished, and they'll stop making toys to make sure that happens. Unfortunately for them, Santa (Bobby Moynihan) is a very patient boss and doesn't go to the disciplinary lengths that they're hoping for. So they keep doing nothing to make Santa madder and madder, hoping he'll teach them a lesson.

It's clear that everyone's having a good time, as these three elves nail the balance between holiday cheer and naughtiness.

Ryan Gosling's facial expressions are absolutely fantastic here, especially when he says that he learns through discipline and that he'll lick Santa's boot if he's forced to. Then there's Keenan's bonkers delivery of the line "Do you see anything you like, Santa?" -- showing just how much funnier a sketch can be when the actors go all out. It's clear that everyone's having a good time, as these three elves nail the balance between holiday cheer and naughtiness. Aside from a forgivable missed cue, this sketch reaches its full holiday potential.

5 "Best Christmas Ever"

Season 44, Episode 9

Ever play host for the holidays? If the answer is yes, then this will be one of the most relatable SNL sketches you ever watch. No worries if you haven't, though, as "Best Christmas Ever" will show what this taxing job is like for the average adult. Matt Damon and Cecily Strong play the tired yet satisfied parents who have just hosted a typically hectic family Christmas gathering. They look like they've finally had the opportunity to relax, and boy do they deserve it.

The structure of this sketch shows the difference between how it feels to be in charge of so much chaos and how we look back on it fondly once it's all over.

The structure of this sketch shows the difference between how it feels to be in charge of so much chaos and how we look back on it fondly once it's all over. The audience catches only brief flashbacks of what the day was like, allowing us to get a sense of just how many unpleasant moments there are and how they accumulate throughout the day. With everybody leaning into the realism, this is a sketch that feels timeless.

4 "Children's Clothing Ad"

Season 45, Episode 9

Ever try to dress a child in clothes they don't like? SNL sure does, as demonstrated in "Children's Clothing Ad." It starts as another one of those Macy's holiday clothing commercials. The cheerful tone quickly changes, however, once the voice-over lets the kids say what they think of their special Christmas clothes. The first child says it's too hot, the second says it itches, and the third one just cries.

The best parts might be with Keenan Thompson, who swears when he can't get his kid to fit into his car seat and later discovers the wrong boy under an over-wrapped scarf.

This sketch starts off great, and keeps the laughter going from there. Tight corduroys, sweaters that won't fit over their heads, and shiny shoes are just a few examples of the problems addressed here. The best parts might be with Keenan Thompson, who swears when he can't get his kid to fit into his car seat and later discovers the wrong boy under an over-wrapped scarf. This holiday delight is short but sweet, demonstrating why SNL is considered one of the best comedy shows of all time.

3 "Christmas Miracle"

Season 42, Episode 10

Kate McKinnon is one of SNL's greatest comediennes, and her recurring sketch about Ms. Rafferty getting taken into a supernatural yet extremely unpleasant scenario is one of her most reliable ways of cracking us up. The one with guest host Casey Affleck may not be the original, but it's still one of the best iterations of the premise and takes magical realism to hysterical extremes. While two other people get to meet Santa Claus, Ms. Rafferty gets ordered around by an enormous goat man.

While two other people get to meet Santa Claus, Ms. Rafferty gets ordered around by an enormous goat man.

It's so fun to watch her complain. As with the other versions of this sketch, it's never explained why Ms. Rafferty is chosen time and again to go on these adventures, nor why she's always chosen as the one who gets the short end of the stick while the others are enlightened. Of course, her pants fell off again. Although the ending is a bit too much, "Christmas Miracle" is still one of the funniest Christmas sketches in (somewhat) recent memory.

2 "Home for the Holidays"

Season 45, Episode 10

There are so many ways to make fun of holiday get-togethers with the family that SNL has no issue with finding more. In the case of "Home for the Holidays," Maya Rudolph and Eddie Murphy play the hosts who didn't even want this responsibility in the first place. But Rudolph's character explains that her sister's place is a dump, so apparently their hands are tied. One of the funniest parts is when Murphy claims that everyone was so happy his daughter got engaged to Matthew (Mikey Day), even though Matthew himself knows that isn't true at all.

In the case of "Home for the Holidays," Maya Rudolph and Eddie Murphy play the hosts who didn't even want this responsibility in the first place.

Along with Grampa (Keenan Thompson) accidentally being a nuisance, the mother struggling to cook for everybody, and a remote control that the father of this household quickly loses his patience for, this Christmas has a lot in common with what goes wrong in households all around the world. Despite all the jokes, however, there is a warmth to this sketch that makes this a worthy ode to family and the holiday season.

1 "Santa Baby"

Season 41, Episode 7

Family Christmas parties can be a lot, but having the neighbors over can also lead to madness. In Season 41's "Santa Baby," Doug (a fully committed Ryan Gosling) and Gina (a terrific Vanessa Bayer) are new to the neighborhood and grateful to their hosts for inviting them. But their manners soon fly out the window when they learn that Santa Claus is upstairs. They want to meet him, and they want to meet him now.

Doug and Tina go on to demand that Santa come down, leading to one of the most uncomfortable Christmas parties of all time.

Santa's not really up there, but try explaining that to two adults who still believe that ol' Saint Nick is real. The way this is gradually revealed, from Gina teasing that the cookies are for Santa to Doug pointing out that Santa doesn't drink, is absolutely perfect. Doug and Tina go on to demand that Santa come down, leading to one of the most uncomfortable Christmas parties of all time. In short, this is Ryan Gosling's most phenomenal SNL sketch and the show's greatest Christmas skit of the 2010s.

NEXT: Kate McKinnon's 11 Best 'SNL' Impressions, From Ruth Bader Ginsburg to Ellen DeGeneres

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