List of Christmas television specials facts for kids
Christmas is a special time of year, and what makes it even more fun are all the amazing TV shows and movies that celebrate the holiday! These can be special episodes of your favorite series, or entire movies made just for Christmas. They often feature festive stories about Santa Claus, snow, presents, and the spirit of giving.
This list shows some of the many Christmas-themed TV shows and episodes from different countries around the world.
Contents
- Christmas TV Shows in Australia
- Christmas TV Shows in Canada
- Christmas TV Shows in Germany
- Christmas TV Shows in Hungary
- Christmas TV Shows in Iceland
- Christmas TV Shows in Ireland
- Christmas TV Shows in Japan
- Christmas TV Shows in Norway
- Christmas TV Shows in Sweden
- Christmas TV Shows in Other Countries
- See also
Christmas TV Shows in Australia
Australia has its own collection of Christmas TV episodes from popular shows.
Fun Australian Christmas Episodes
| Series | Episode | Year | Channel |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Adventures of Blinky Bill | Blinky Bill's White Christmas | 2005 | Seven Network |
| Bananas in Pyjamas | The Snowman | 2012 | ABC Kids |
| Johnson and Friends | The Christmas Tree | 1997 | ABC Television |
| The Koala Brothers | Outback Christmas | 2005 | ABC Television |
| Play School | A Very Play School Christmas | 2019 | ABC Kids |
Christmas TV Shows in Canada
Canada has produced many Christmas TV specials and episodes, including some well-known animated series.
Canadian Christmas Episodes
6teen
This animated series about teenagers working at a mall often had Christmas-themed episodes.
| Episode | Year | Channel |
|---|---|---|
| Deck the Mall | 2004 | Teletoon |
| In a Retail Wonderland | 2005 | Teletoon |
| Snow Job | 2006 | Teletoon |
The Beachcombers
A classic Canadian show about two men running a logging business.
| Episode | Year | Channel |
|---|---|---|
| Here Comes Santa Claus | 1974 | CBC |
| A Christmas Story | 1980 | CBC |
| A Family Christmas | 1982 | CBC |
Degrassi
The popular teen drama series also had holiday episodes.
| Series | Episode | Year | Channel |
|---|---|---|---|
| Degrassi Junior High | Season's Greetings | 1988 | CBC |
| Degrassi: The Next Generation | Holiday | 2003 | CTV |
My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
This beloved animated show has its own version of Christmas called "Hearth's Warming Eve."
| Episode | Year | Channel |
|---|---|---|
| Hearth's Warming Eve | 2011 | Hub Network |
| Hearthbreakers | 2015 | Discovery Family |
| A Hearth's Warming Tail | 2016 | Discovery Family |
Other Canadian Shows
Many other Canadian series have celebrated Christmas with special episodes.
| Series | Episode | Year | Channel | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Adventures of Chuck and Friends | Boomer the Snowplow | 2010 | Treehouse TV | |
| The Big Comfy Couch | Comfy and Joy | 1995 | YTV | This also aired in the U.S. on PBS. |
| Donkey Kong Country | The Kongo Bongo Festival of Lights | 1999 | Teletoon | Donkey Kong and friends spend the holidays with their families. |
| Little Charmers | Santa Sparkle | 2015 | Treehouse TV | Santa visits CharmVille |
| Murdoch Mysteries | A Merry Murdoch Christmas | 2015 | CBC | |
| Pippi Longstocking | Pippi's Christmas | 1997 | YTV & Teletoon |
Canadian Christmas Specials
Canada has also created many standalone Christmas TV specials.
| Special | Year | Channel | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bluetoes the Christmas Elf | 1988 | CBC | Based on a children's book. |
| Bob's Broken Sleigh | 2015 | Family Channel | |
| Care Bears Nutcracker Suite | 1988 | Global | |
| The Christmas Raccoons | 1980 | CBC | A special that led to The Raccoons series. |
| A Cosmic Christmas | 1977 | CBC | The first fully-animated production from Nelvana. |
| The Gift of Winter | 1974 | CBC | |
| The Magic Hockey Skates | 2012 | CBC |
Christmas TV Shows in Germany
Germany also has its own Christmas episodes from popular series.
German Christmas Episodes
| Series | Episode | Year | Channel |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meister Eder und sein Pumuckl | Pumuckl und der Nikolaus | 1982 | Bayerisches Fernsehen |
| Meister Eder und sein Pumuckl | Das Weihnachtsgeschenk | 1982 | Bayerisches Fernsehen |
| Meine Freundin Conni | Conni feiert Weihnachten | 2012 | KiKa |
Christmas TV Shows in Hungary
Hungary has cartoons and sitcoms with Christmas themes.
Hungarian Cartoons
| Series | Episode | Year | Channel |
|---|---|---|---|
| A nagy ho-ho-ho-horgász | What Gift Did Santa Claus Brought To Us? | 1984 | M1 |
| Frakk, a macskák réme | What Gift Will Santa Claus Bring to Us? | 1972 | M1 |
Christmas TV Shows in Iceland
Iceland is known for its "Christmas calendar series," which are shows with an episode for each day leading up to Christmas.
Icelandic Christmas Calendar Series (Jóladagatal Sjónvarpsins)
These series are like an advent calendar, with a new episode each day from December 1st to 24th.
| Series | Year | Channel |
|---|---|---|
| Á baðkari til Betlehem | 1990 | RÚV |
| Stjörnustrákur | 1991 | RÚV |
| Tveir á báti | 1992 | RÚV |
| Hvar er Völundur? | 1996 | RÚV |
| Töfrakúlan | 2005 | RÚV |
LazyTown
The popular children's show LazyTown also had Christmas episodes.
| Episode | Year | Channel |
|---|---|---|
| LazyTown's Surprise Santa | 2004 | |
| The Holiday Spirit | 2013 |
Christmas TV Shows in Ireland
Ireland has also contributed to Christmas television with episodes from its own series.
Irish Christmas Episodes
| Series | Episode | Year | Channel |
|---|---|---|---|
| Father Ted | A Christmassy Ted | 1996 | Channel 4 |
| Republic of Telly | Republic of Telly Christmas special | 2010 | RTÉ Two |
Christmas TV Shows in Japan
Japan is famous for its anime and tokusatsu (live-action special effects) shows, many of which have Christmas episodes.
Anime Christmas Episodes
Many popular anime series have special Christmas episodes.
| Series | Episode | Year | Channel |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aggretsuko | We Wish You a Metal Christmas | 2017 | Netflix |
| Astro Boy | The Light Ray Robot | 1980 | NTV |
| Fairy Tail | Fairies's Christmas | 2016 | |
| K-On! | Christmas! | 2010 | |
| My Hero Academia | Have a Merry Christmas! | 2021 | |
| Rent-A-Girlfriend | Christmas and Girlfriend | 2020 | MBS |
| Sword Art Online | The Red-Nosed Reindeer | 2012 |
Cardcaptor Sakura
This magical girl anime features Christmas in some of its episodes.
| Episode | Year | Channel |
|---|---|---|
| Sakura's Wonderful Christmas | 1998 | |
| Sakura, the Cards, and a Present | 1999 |
Hamtaro
The cute hamster series also has several Christmas-themed adventures.
| Episode | Year | Channel |
|---|---|---|
| Merry Christmas! | 2000 | |
| A Wonderful Santa Claus | 2001 | |
| Mimi's Christmas | 2002 |
Pokémon
The world-famous Pokémon series has had many holiday episodes over the years.
| Episode | Year | Channel |
|---|---|---|
| Holiday Hi-Jynx | 1998 | |
| Pikachu's Winter Vacations: Christmas Night | 1999 | |
| Pikachu's Winter Vacations: Stantler's Little Helpers | 2000 |
Pretty Cure
The Pretty Cure franchise, known for its magical girl teams, often includes Christmas episodes.
| Series | Episode | Year | Channel |
|---|---|---|---|
| Futari wa Pretty Cure | I Couldn't Be Happier!? Nagisa's White Christmas | 2004 | |
| Smile PreCure! | A smile secret! Miyuki and the real Ultra Happy!! | 2012 | |
| Maho Girls PreCure! | A Magical Christmas! Miral Becomes Santa!? | 2016 |
Digimon
The digital monsters of Digimon have also celebrated Christmas.
| Series | Episode | Year | Channel |
|---|---|---|---|
| Digimon Adventure 02 | A Very Digi Christmas | 2000 | |
| Digimon Universe: Appli Monsters | Christmas Has Vanished!? Calendamon the Calendar Thief! | 2016 |
Doraemon
The robotic cat from the future, Doraemon, and his friends have many Christmas stories.
| Series | Episode | Year | Channel |
|---|---|---|---|
| Doraemon (1979 TV series) | Nobita and Doraemon's Christmas (two-part episode) | 1980 | |
| Doraemon (1979 TV series) | The Christmas Present | 1985 | |
| Doraemon (2005 TV series) | Nobita Claus on Christmas Eve | 2009 | |
| Doraemon (2005 TV series) | Christmas in the House of Candies | 2017 |
Sgt. Frog
This funny alien invasion anime also has its share of Christmas chaos.
| Episode | Year | Channel |
|---|---|---|
| The Space Frog Who Stole Christmas! | 2004 | |
| Keroro, I Cannot Say Merry Christmas | 2005 | |
| Keroro, Prevent Christmas! | 2007 |
Tokusatsu Christmas Episodes
Tokusatsu shows, which feature live-action special effects, like Kamen Rider and Super Sentai, often have Christmas episodes that are exciting and action-packed.
Ultra Series
The Ultraman heroes have fought monsters and celebrated Christmas.
| Series | Episode | Year | Channel |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ultraman Taro | The Ultra Christmas Tree | 1973 | Tokyo Broadcasting System Television |
| Ultraman Max | Elly of Christmas | 2005 | Chubu-Nippon Broadcasting |
Kamen Rider
The Kamen Rider series, featuring motorcycle-riding heroes, frequently has Christmas-themed battles.
| Series | Episode | Year | Channel |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kamen Rider V3 | Destron's Christmas Present | 1973 | TV Asahi |
| Kamen Rider Wizard | The Miracle of Christmas | 2012 | TV Asahi |
| Kamen Rider Ex-Aid | Christmas Special: Targeting the Silver X mas! | 2016 | TV Asahi |
Super Sentai
The Super Sentai series (which inspired Power Rangers) also has many Christmas episodes.
| Series | Episode | Year | Channel |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ninja Sentai Kakuranger | The Hasty Santa | 1994 | TV Asahi |
| Hyakujuu Sentai Gaoranger | Santa Came | 2001 | TV Asahi |
| Zyuden Sentai Kyoryuger | Yanasanta! Deboth's World War & Wonderful! Christmas of Justice | 2013 | TV Asahi |
Rankin/Bass Christmas Specials (Animated in Japan)
Many classic American Christmas specials were actually animated in Japan by studios like MOM Productions and Topcraft.
| Special | Year | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer | 1964 | A beloved stop-motion classic. |
| Frosty the Snowman | 1969 | The story of a magical snowman. |
| Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town | 1970 | Tells the origin story of Santa. |
| The Year Without a Santa Claus | 1974 | Features Heat Miser and Snow Miser. |
| Rudolph's Shiny New Year | 1975 | Rudolph goes on another adventure. |
| Jack Frost | 1979 | The story of the winter spirit. |
These specials were written and designed in the United States, but the animation (both stop-motion and traditional) was done in Japan. Many of them are still shown on TV every Christmas season!
Christmas TV Shows in Norway
Norway also has its own tradition of Christmas calendar series, similar to Iceland.
Norwegian Christmas Calendar Series (NRK)
These shows are broadcast daily in December, building up to Christmas Day.
| Special | Year |
|---|---|
| Jul i Skomakergata | 1979 |
| Teodors julekalender | 1986 |
| Jul på Sesam stasjon | 1992 |
| Amalies jul | 1995 |
| Jul i Blåfjell | 1999 |
| Jul på Månetoppen | 2002 |
| Jul i Svingen | 2006 |
Christmas TV Shows in Sweden
Sweden also has a long tradition of Christmas calendar series.
- SVT's Christmas calendar: A new series is broadcast every year from December 1st to 24th, a tradition since 1960.
- Sagan om Karl-Bertil Jonssons julafton (Christopher's Christmas Mission) (1975): A popular animated special.
Christmas TV Shows in Other Countries
Christmas TV specials and episodes are enjoyed all over the world!
- Living with Lydia: Merry Christmas Lydia (2004) - Singapore
- Pucca: Pucca Claus Part 1: 'Tis the season for REVENGE!/Pucca Claus Part 2: Northern Lights Out/Pucca Claus Part 3: Secret Santa (2006) - South Korea
- Charlie's Christmas (L'Enfant au grelot) (1998) - France
- ABS-CBN Christmas specials (1992, 1996–ongoing) - Philippines
See also
- Christmas in the media
- Nordic Christmas calendar
- List of A Christmas Carol adaptations
- List of theatrical Christmas films
- List of made-for-television and direct-to-video Christmas films
