All 5 ‘New Girl’ Christmas Episodes in Order

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Few sitcoms feel as genuinely festive as New Girl. The show consistently turns holiday celebrations into hilariously chaotic, yet heartwarming, events. Over its seven seasons, New Girl featured five Christmas episodes that perfectly showcased each character’s unique personality: Jess’s cheerful spirit, Nick’s lovable grumpiness, Schmidt’s competitive nature, Winston’s playful silliness, Cece’s down-to-earth humor, and Coach’s hidden soft side.

Blending humor and heartfelt moments, New Girl‘s Christmas episodes have become a yearly tradition for fans. The show perfectly captures the chaos of the holidays with relatable, yet funny, disasters. It’s easy to wish you could spend Christmas with Jess and her friends – their heartwarming moments and genuine connection make the episodes truly memorable.

Here’s every New Girl Christmas episode in chronological order.

5
“The 23rd”

Season 1, Episode 9


Fox

The first Christmas episode features Paul confessing his love for Jess after she gifts him a remarkably realistic heart model. Her response? A simple “Thank you.” Most of the episode unfolds at Schmidt’s office holiday party, where he’s forced to dress as a risqué Santa Claus at his boss Kim’s request. Jess, realizing she doesn’t reciprocate Paul’s feelings, seeks advice from Nick, but Nick accidentally spills the news to Paul that Jess doesn’t feel the same way.

At the holiday party, Cece arrives with her new boyfriend, Kyle, but there are still hints of a connection between her and Schmidt. Meanwhile, Winston, who has been struggling since retiring from basketball, discovers a new passion when he starts babysitting Elvin, the son of Schmidt’s coworker, Gina. The episode culminates with Nick intentionally missing his flight and leading Jess and the entire group to Candy Lane, a spectacularly decorated street. He wakes up the residents and asks them to relight their Christmas lights, giving Jess the magical Christmas she always wanted and making amends for a previous mistake. This heartfelt gesture highlights the growing connection between Nick and Jess.

4
“Santa”

Season 2, Episode 11


Fox

The ‘Santa’ episode is arguably the most lively and eventful Christmas episode of the series. The roommates decide to party-hop, hoping to maximize their time together before everyone leaves for the holidays. Jess, Nick, and Schmidt are each navigating complicated romantic situations. At the first party, Jess unexpectedly runs into her ex, Sam, who expresses regret and wants to rekindle their relationship. Unwilling to face him, Jess pretends to be dating Winston to avoid an awkward conversation.

Okay, so this episode was all about vulnerability! I really felt for Nick – he’s so sweet, but clearly insecure around Angie, and his attempts to be this cool, adventurous guy just backfired spectacularly. That Santa sleigh scene was… rough, and honestly, his outburst was totally out of character. Thankfully, Jess stepped in and reminded him to just talk to her, which worked! Schmidt was being his usual stubborn self after Cece rejected him, playing it cool, but they managed to reconnect through a good conversation. And Jess? She was a total romantic, just going for what she wanted with Sam! Showing up at his hospital was a bold move, but it paid off – they kissed and are back together! It was a really satisfying episode because everyone finally started being honest with their feelings.

3
“Clavado en un Bar”

Season 3, Episode 11


Fox

The “Clavado en Un Bar” episode, named after a Maná song, barely feels like a Christmas story. It starts with Jess rushing into the bar, facing a big decision with only 21 minutes to decide. She’s been offered a well-paying job at the children’s museum where she volunteers, but accepting it would mean leaving her career as a teacher. As she seeks advice from her friends, everyone shares their own experiences with making career changes.

This episode offers a nostalgic look at the characters’ lives before the show, showing us Winston’s experiences in Latvia, Schmidt’s early career in marketing, and Nick’s time as a law student. We also see a sweet flashback of how Jess and Cece first became friends. While it’s not a heavily Christmas-focused episode – there are just a few festive touches like string lights and a brief mention of a Christmas tree lot – it’s a fantastic installment that deepens our understanding of what shaped each character into who they are today.

2
“LAXmas”

Season 4, Episode 11


Fox

The group’s holiday travel plans hit a snag when everyone ends up stranded at LAX. Jess is supposed to visit Ryan’s family in London, Nick and Winston are going to Chicago, Coach is taking a solo trip to Hawaii, and Cece and Schmidt are headed to New York (Long Island and Manhattan). When Jess receives a picture of Ryan’s family’s lavish home, she feels insecure about meeting them and falsely tells Ryan her flight is canceled.

This episode features several standout scenes. Schmidt has a hilarious confrontation in the first class lounge, firmly shutting down a man who tries to objectify Cece. We also see a touching side of Coach as he grapples with guilt over leaving his family and nieces for a vacation. Meanwhile, Nick and Winston desperately try to get on the next flight. Jess, as usual, charms a cynical flight attendant (Billy Eichner) and manages to get everyone seats. Just as they’re about to board, the group discovers Jess isn’t coming – she’s staying put. Nick and Winston go to extreme lengths to convince her to go to England, and she ends up boarding the plane unaware that Ryan has secretly bought a ticket to Los Angeles to join her.

1
“Christmas Eve Eve”

Season 6, Episode 10


Fox

In the series’ final Christmas episode, most of the group is tired of the usual Christmas fuss and wants a low-key holiday, deciding to do a Secret Santa instead. Jess, however, is still enthusiastic about the season. When she draws Nick’s name for Secret Santa, she comes up with a grand gesture: flying his girlfriend, Reagan, to Los Angeles for the holidays. But when Nick plans to fly to Seattle to see Reagan, Jess desperately tries to convince him to stay, leading to an argument and her having to reveal her surprise. The situation also suggests that Jess and Nick still have feelings for each other.

Throughout the episode, Jess desperately tries to get everyone excited about the holidays, but it’s a bit heartbreaking to watch. Things get even worse during the gift exchange when she realizes she accidentally left her name out of the gift drawing. Luckily, the group rallies together, and with help from Robby, they create a wonderfully festive surprise for Jess right outside their building. They transform the area with fake snow, elves, lights, and a Christmas tree, complete with a performance of “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)” by Darlene Love herself! It’s all a recreation of Jess’s favorite childhood Christmas, and it’s a truly touching moment that resonates with viewers.

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2025-11-22 06:34