11 Of The Best Winter SpongeBob Episodes, Ranked

SpongeBob SquarePants Christmas episodes show that living in tropical waters is no barrier to SpongeBob and the rest of Bikini Bottom having winter adventures — and the best SpongeBob Christmas episodes also rank among the funniest in the show so far. SpongeBob is a perfect character to bring holiday cheer to Bikini Bottom since he is one of the most optimistic individuals alive. Unlike the always-annoyed Squidward or the money-hungry Mr. Krabs, it doesn’t take SpongeBob long to find the brightness in life. With his best friend Patrick by his side, SpongeBob Christmas episodes make for unlikely yet unforgettable viewing over the Holiday season.

From winter storms to a Santa-free Christmas, there’s plenty of holiday cheer in the SpongeBob Christmas episodes. While SpongeBob SquarePants doesn’t have too many episodes dedicated specifically to the spirit of Christmas, the show does have quite a few winter-themed installments for viewers to enjoy. While it seems strange to realize it often snows in Bikini Bottom, when it does, SpongeBob, Patrick, and even Squidward often find their unique brand of festive magic, all while sticking to the absurdist humor SpongeBob SquarePants is known for.

11 “Out Of The Picture”

Season 10, Episode 10

In this season 10 SpongeBob Christmas episode, Squidward tries selling his art at the Krusty Krab. But when Mr. Krabs shuts it down, he sends Squidward to Antarctica to bring the art to a big-time buyer. It was when he reached this snowy land that Squidward encountered a snow sponge that looked a lot like a snowman.

Hilarious, SpongeBob was (somehow) already in Antarctica eating ice by the time Squidward got there. This was a fun-loving holiday episode that brought Squidward and SpongeBob to a snowy terrain that was unlike what they normally experience in Bikini Bottom, with the change of locale a clever way to tap into the Christmas themes.

10 “Kwarantined Krab”

Season 12, Episode 22

Season 12’s “Kwarantined Krab” isn’t a typically festive winter-themed SpongeBob Christmas episode, but it does showcase the flu season when Mr. Krabs comes down with the Clam Flu. A health inspector places everyone who works at the Krusty Krab or eats inside it under quarantine. They lock the doors and protect the windows so no one can get out. While this is torment for most of the characters, SpongeBob is seen having a great time in the restaurant’s freezer. From sledding to eating ice cream, SpongeBob views quarantine as a sleepover with his best friends. This is a winter-themed episode that proves SpongeBob can always make the best of a bad moment.

9 “Frozen Face-Off”

Season 8, Episode 4

Season 8’s “Frozen Face-Off” is a SpongeBob Christmas episode that celebrates winter with a sled competition. 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. However, 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.

8 “Plankton’s Old Chum”

Season 12, Episode 5

“Plankton’s Old Chum” is a SpongeBob Christmas episode from season 12 and shows Plankton creating a fake holiday. Most of Plankton’s best episodes revolve around him at the Chum Bucket, and this is no different. Plankton realizes he has nowhere to dump his old chum. 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. SpongeBob falls for it and takes Plankton’s old chum and spreads 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.

Season 11, Episode 17

“Shopping List” doesn’t include Santa or snowball fights, but it does include 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. Sandy and SpongeBob get the job done when it comes to the Yeti’s hair, but the Yeti eventually tracks them down to get it back. It offers a small touch of winter magic that enters Bikini Bottom, which offers up one of winter’s most mythical creatures.

6 “Krabs Á La Mode”

Season 5, Episode 5

Season 5’s “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. Thanks to the chill, Mr. Krabs turns the Krusty Krab into an ice rink, complete with Krusty Krab-themed skates and activities. The idea of an ice rink inside the Krusty Krab is just ridiculous enough to work and that alone makes this SpongeBob Christmas episode a standout.

5 “SpongeBob’s Road To Christmas”

Season 13, Episode 5

In season 13, SpongeBob and Patrick travel to the North Pole to meet Santa themselves to give him a gift after SpongeBob forgets to give him it on Christmas Day. At the same time, Plankton tags along as a way to put his name back on Santa’s good list. The three get derailed and, in one of SpongeBob‘s funniest live-action scenes, they think Patchy the Pirate is Santa. Eventually, they find themselves at the North Pole talking to Santa. This was one of the most Christmas-centered SpongeBob episodes, and bringing in Santa Claus is a great moment for a show that often ignores Christmas itself.

4 “Survival Of The Idiots”

Season 2, Episode 9

In the second season, 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. However, Sandy doesn’t look like Sandy — she is much larger and fuzzier than before. The two best friends realize Sandy is hibernating for the winter but they play in her snow-filled tree dome anyway. While playing in the snow seems enjoyable, and gives this episode a Christmas spirit, their noise wakes a hibernating squirrel, and when Sandy comes out of her sleep, SpongeBob and Patrick end up paying the price. This remains one of the best SpongeBob episodes of all time.

3 “Christmas Who?”

Season 2, Episode 8

“Christmas Who?” is the first SpongeBob SquarePants Christmas special, arriving in season 2. 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 is Squidward of all the characters who gets most into the holiday.

2 “Snowball Effect”

Season 3, Episode 6

“Snowball Effect” is a season 3 episode and 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 holiday episodes in the show’s history.

1 “It’s A SpongeBob Christmas!”

Season 8, Episode 23

Season 8’s “It’s a SpongeBob Christmas” is the best SpongeBob Christmas episode. To celebrate the holidays, this special episode shows Bikini Bottom excited about Santa’s arrival. As always, Plankton has an evil plan up his sleeve to ruin Christmas cheer. He ends up putting all of Bikini Bottom on Santa’s naughty list, although he somehow ends up looking innocent when Santa arrives. What makes this episode stand out is the fact it is not traditionally animated like other SpongeBob SquarePants Christmas episodes. Instead, SpongeBob is animated in claymation and pays homage to the classic Christmas claymation classics.