The holidays hold a special place in the hearts of sitcom fans, many of whom flock to their favorites each year to rewatch those rare seasonal episodes. Fans of CBS’ How I Met Your Mother largely see the show’s Thanksgiving episodes as its peak offerings, but its Christmas episodes are just as enjoyable.
Sure, they don’t contain the famous slap saga, nor do they typically boast any original HIMYM songs, but over the course of nine seasons, the popular sitcom released five festive episodes that absolutely ooze Christmas spirit. Each one offers up a completely unique take on the mega-popular holiday, delivering heaps of holiday cheer for fans to soak up.
“How Lily Stole Christmas” (Season 2, Episode 11)
The first How I Met Your Mother Christmas episode falls midway through its second season. By this point, Lily and Marshall have broken up and gotten back together, and things are generally looking up for the whole gang. After Lily accidentally stumbles upon an old voicemail from Ted, however, the two get into a tiff that nearly ruins the holiday.
Unlike some sitcom Christmas episodes, this holiday entry is entirely focused on Christmas. It sees Lily and Ted work to sort out their differences before Marshall returns from an all-day study marathon, and pokes fun at the exhausting familial choices we are all forced to make during the holiday season.
“Little Minnesota” (Season 4, Episode 11)
Two seasons after its first Christmas episode aired, How I Met Your Mother graced viewers with its second Christmas offering. The season 4 episode “Little Minnesota” is less Christmas-centric than “How Lily Stole Christmas,” but still packs plenty of holiday cheer into its runtime.
This episode sees Marshall introduce Robin to his favorite bar, a tiny slice of Minnesota nestled in the midst of bustling New York City. The down-home vibes of the bar connect perfectly with Robin, who is somewhat morosely headed toward another holiday far from her home in Canada.
“False Positive” (Season 6, Episode 12)
Once again skipping a season between festive episodes, the third Christmas episode of How I Met Your Mother doesn’t arrive until its sixth season. In an episode that splits its focus between Christmas and regular storytelling, the gang is now older and working toward paving their way forward in their various career and life pursuits.
When Lily and Marshall discover that they are expecting their first child, it sends a wave of panic through the friend group. Worried they aren’t doing enough with their lives, each member sets their sights on a specific goal, only to immediately abandon them when they discover that Lily and Marshall aren’t actually pregnant.
“Symphony of Illumination” (Season 7, Episode 12)
Season 7’s Christmas episode is one of the series’ most heartfelt. It tells a particularly emotional and interesting story, and delivers one of the show’s most impressive light shows near the episode’s end.
“Symphony of Illumination” follows Robin as she learns of, and reacts to, news that she is medically unable to bear children. Mixed in with a few jokes to keep the mood light, Robin deals with some very real emotions throughout the episode. Ted’s ultimate act to try and improve her mood is one of his better moments in the entire series, and will tug at the heartstrings of even the most cynical viewer.
“The Final Page Part 2” (Season 8, Episode 12)
The final holiday episode in How I Met Your Mother‘s nine-season run came about during its eighth season’s 12th episode. In the second half of a dual-part episode, Barney’s massive proposal effort finally comes to a head. The episode is one of the highest rated of the entire series on IMDb—with a rating of 9.4 out of 10—due to its surprising and elaborate climax.
“The Final Page Part 2” allows Christmas to be a steady theme in the background of a massively important plot episode. It sets up the remainder of the eighth season, as well as the ninth, all while giving the audience regular doses of Christmas spirit.
Where to watch How I Met Your Mother
If you’re looking to binge these festive episodes of How I Met Your Mother, the show is currently available to stream on Hulu. It is no longer available on Netflix or Prime Video — at least, not without purchasing the series first. If you’re looking to enjoy the show year over year, it might be worth shelling out right around $10 a season to own it outright on Prime.
Unfortunately, no Christmas-themed episode ever aired during the run of the show’s spin-off series, How I Met Your Father. The series, starring Hilary Duff, only held out for two seasons, and neither sport any Yuletide episodes to add to our round-up. If you’re looking for some HIMYM-themed Christmas cheer, you’ll have to stick to the original series.
