20 Christmas TV Episodes that Deserve a Holiday Rewatch

17. “Arnold’s Christmas” – Hey Arnold!, Season 1

Arnold was the good guy of the 90’s Nickelodeon cartoons. Everyone liked him, and no one had a bad word to say about him (except Helga, who was also madly in love with him). So, naturally he has to keep up the kindness on Christmas. This holiday story is actually one of the more emotionally moving episodes in the entire series.

During the building’s annual tenant secret Santa, Arnold draws Mr. Hyunh, a Vietnamese immigrant who was in the country during the climax of the Vietnam War. We learn he gave up his only daugther Mai when the Americans were evacuating South Vietnamese citizens via helicopter. Arnold is so touched by his story, he makes it his goal to reunite father and daughter before Christmas. As Gerald says, “It would take a miracle,” to which Arnold says “What better time for a miracle than Christmas?”

Turns out, that miracle came in the form of Helga, whose unrequited crush on Arnold allows her to commit the most selfless deed of them all. She gives up her Christmas present (Nancy Spumoni snow boots) to the government worker helping Arnold find Mr. Hyunh’s daughter. We get to see a lovely, heartwarming reunion between father and daughter, topped off with Helga whispering “Merry Christmas, Arnold” outside his tenement building as the snow falls around her. For a kid’s cartoon, it sure knows how to pull at the ol’ Christmas heartstrings.