Every SpongeBob SquarePants Christmas & Winter Episode

Updated  Nov 13, 2026, 7:30 AM EST

Adrienne Tyler is a movies & TV features writer, with a focus on horror. She has written for Netflix, FanSided, & more. She was a regular guest on the Netfreaks podcast and was a YouTuber at some point. Guillermo del Toro said “hi” to her once.

SpongeBob SquarePants' Christmas episodes show that living in tropical waters isn't a barrier to winter adventures, and the best SpongeBob Christmas episodes also rank among the show's funniest so far. Nickelodeon has consistently delivered some of the best animated TV shows of all time for decades, and, by far, its most popular and successful cartoon is SpongeBob SquarePants. Thanks to its unique characters, setting, fun situations, and different types of comedy, SpongeBob SquarePants has maintained its popularity and relevance for over two decades.

Since 1999, SpongeBob SquarePants has taken viewers to the bottom of the ocean, to the town of Bikini Bottom, to meet the title character and his friends. Throughout 17 seasons, SpongeBob has gotten involved in all types of fun and absurd situations, but living under the sea doesn’t mean that SpongeBob and company don’t get to celebrate the same holidays as those living on land. SpongeBob SquarePants has had various holiday-themed episodes, from Halloween to Christmas and more, but the episodes set in the latter holiday have been the most popular.

While there aren’t many SpongeBob SquarePants episodes dedicated specifically to the spirit of Christmas, it does have a few winter-themed stories that fit perfectly with the holiday. Leaving aside the logic and physics of snow underwater, SpongeBob, Patrick, and even Squidward often find their unique brand of festive magic, while sticking to the absurdist humor the show is known for.

1 "Christmas Who?"

Season 2, Episode 8

"Christmas Who?" is the first SpongeBob SquarePants Christmas special. In it, Sandy is decorating her tree and gearing up for Christmas. SpongeBob and Patrick have never heard of Christmas and learn everything about it from Sandy. SpongeBob does what he does best and gets overexcited and spreads the word around Bikini Bottom.

The city becomes a Christmas wonderland, but when Santa fails to appear on Christmas morning, Squidward takes it upon himself to become Santa and give cheer to Bikini Bottom. This really shares the meaning of Christmas, with the nice twist that it's Squidward, of all the characters, who gets most into the holiday.

2 "Survival Of The Idiots"

Season 2, Episode 9

SpongeBob and Patrick go to Sandy's house to play, but find her entire dome covered in a shield with a sign that says "Keep out." The two sneak in to find Sandy asleep, but she doesn't look like herself — she is much larger and fuzzier. Sandy is hibernating for the winter, but SpongeBob and Patrick play in her snow-filled tree dome anyway.

While playing in the snow seems enjoyable and gives this episode a Christmas spirit, the noise wakes Sandy up, and she’s not pleased. SpongeBob and Patrick end up paying the price for being too loud, and they also begin to struggle with the cold.

3 "Snowball Effect"

Season 3, Episode 6

"Snowball Effect" shows Bikini Bottom under a blanket of snow after an iceberg crashes above. SpongeBob and Patrick spend the episode having a snowball fight, but things take a turn when Squidward gets involved. The three build forts to protect themselves from the snowballs, but Squidward goes too far and realizes he is having more fun than he thought he would.

The snow makes this a Christmas-themed episode, even though it is from an iceberg, but the sight of Squidward playing with SpongeBob and Patrick makes this one of the most enjoyable winter/holiday episodes in the show's history.

4 "Krabs Á La Mode"

Season 5, Episode 5

"Krabs Á La Mode" shows Mr. Krabs turning the Krusty Krab into an unintentional ice rink for winter. For Squidward, turning down the heat during the frigid temperatures in Bikini Bottom is one of the worst things Mr. Krabs could have done. Due to expenses, Mr. Krabs sets an alarm at the Krusty Krab so no one can turn up the heat and turns the Krusty Krab into an ice rink, complete with Krusty Krab-themed skates and activities.

5 "Frozen Face-Off"

Season 8, Episode 4

"Frozen Face-Off" celebrates winter with a sled competition, and everyone in Bikini Bottom enters because the prize is $1 million. SpongeBob has Gary leading his sled, Patrick chooses gummy worms to take him to victory, and Squidward has a worm who chooses to sip tea instead of winning the race.

While everyone tries to win the prize, Plankton is busy trying to steal the Krabby Patty secret recipe. When the gang tries to stop him, they're frozen in ice, but the ever-resourceful Sandy makes a fire to warm everyone up, ending the episode on a festively-themed note of the value of friendship and cooperation.

6 "It's A SpongeBob Christmas!"

Season 8, Episode 23

"It's a SpongeBob Christmas" is, arguably, the best SpongeBob Christmas episode. To celebrate the holidays, this episode shows Bikini Bottom excited about Santa's arrival. As always, Plankton has an evil plan up his sleeve to ruin Christmas cheer, so he puts all of Bikini Bottom on Santa's naughty list.

What makes this episode stand out is the fact that it’s not traditionally animated like other SpongeBob SquarePants Christmas episodes. Instead, the episode is animated in claymation and pays homage to Christmas claymation classics.

7 "Out Of The Picture"

Season 10, Episode 10

In this episode, Squidward tries to sell his art at the Krusty Krab, but when Mr. Krabs shuts it down, he sends Squidward to Antarctica to bring his art to a big-time buyer. Once there, Squidward comes across a snow sponge that looks a lot like a snowman.

As it turns out, SpongeBob is (somehow) already in Antarctica eating ice by the time Squidward gets there. This episode brings Squidward and SpongeBob to a snowy terrain that is unlike what they normally experience in Bikini Bottom, with the change of locale being a clever way to tap into the Christmas themes.

Season 11, Episode 17

"Shopping List" doesn't include Santa or snowball fights, but it does include a cold-living yeti. In the episode, Mr. Krabs gives SpongeBob an intense shopping list with odd things that aren't easily found. Sandy decides to help SpongeBob since she is braver than him, especially when it comes to getting the hair of a Yeti.

Question 1 of 3

Sandy and SpongeBob get the job done, but the Yeti eventually tracks them down to get its hair back. It offers a small touch of winter magic that enters Bikini Bottom, along with one of winter's most mythical creatures.

9 “Goons on the Moon”

Season 11, Episode 26

“Goons on the Moon” sees Sandy taking her Science Scout troop on a trip to the moon. While they all go their separate ways to explore, Santa Claus is revealed to be sleeping on the dark side of the moon. When Santa realizes how far Earth is from the moon, they all try to get it closer but end up destroying the moon.

Santa then pumps SpongeBob full of water, turning him into a replacement moon, with Santa promising to deliver a new one in December. SpongeBob SquarePants has become weirder and weirder with every season, but at least this episode acknowledges SpongeBob’s past encounters with Santa Claus.

10 "Plankton's Old Chum"

Season 12, Episode 5

"Plankton's Old Chum" shows Plankton creating a fake holiday. Plankton realizes he has nowhere to dump his old chum, so when he runs into SpongeBob, he convinces him that it's Chum Day, a holiday similar to Christmas. On this day, a person hands out chum as a gift, and SpongeBob falls for it, taking Plankton's old chum and spreading it around Bikini Bottom. When the city becomes angry over the filth, SpongeBob convinces them it's a holiday, showing he can turn anything into a festive celebration.