The Best Hanukkah TV Episodes From Rugrats, Friends, The O.C. And More

With a belly full of Thanksgiving turkey, we now turn our attention (and stomachs) to Hanukkah and latkes. The eight-night celebration begins earlier than usual this year, kicking off this Sunday evening, Nov. 28, and to mark the occasion, TVLine has compiled a list of the eight best Hanukkah episodes to cue up.

Unfortunately, there aren't as many pickings to choose from as there are for Christmas (view those "Best Of" selections here), but fittingly, we have found one installment for each night of the Jewish holiday. Our highlights include a poignant Brothers & Sisters storyline, The O.C.'s classic first Chrismukkah outing and plenty of hearty laughs courtesy of The Goldbergs, The Nanny and other comedies.

We've also singled out a pair of children's programs that featured Hanukkah episodes that are both educational and entertaining for parents and kiddos alike. And this year, Nickelodeon's preschool series Blue's Clues & You! will join in the tradition with a new Hanukkah-themed installment, "A Blue's Clues Festival of Lights" (premiering today at 12 pm ET/PT).

So as you prepare to light your menorah, check out the guide below to TV's best Hanukkah episodes and where to stream them, then hit the comments to share your faves!

Season 1, Episode 10 (watch here)

Little Paige puts the Walkers on the spot when she asks why they don't celebrate Hanukkah if their family is Jewish. (Good question, kid!) When Nora realizes that her granddaughter's sudden interest in religion is part of a spiritual crisis spurred by her diabetes diagnosis, she throws herself into teaching Paige about the Maccabees and Jewish principles. But it's Saul's meaningful words just before Paige lights the menorah that remind the young girl (and the whole family) that Hanukkah is about having faith in the face of life's challenges.

Season 3, Episode 17 (watch here)

When the Jewish royal family of Galonia — including characters voiced by Tovah Feldshuh and Jamie-Lynn Sigler — is stranded in Avalor for Hanukkah, the crown princess learns the story of the Festival of Lights and then goes about making an impromptu celebration for her unexpected guests. Though some critics dinged the episode for its mixing of Sephardic and Ashkenazi Judaism, it is nice to see a Jewish girl represented in the Disney princess pantheon, and we kinda love the message of focusing on gratitude in the face of loss.

Season 1, Episode 15 (watch here)

When wild child Louis (played by a talented-beyond-his-years Shia LaBeouf) accidentally destroys the family's Hanukkah presents while attempting to sneak a peek, his parents and siblings are understandably furious, prompting him to imagine what their lives would be like if he'd never been born. And just like that, the episode transitions into a Christmas Carol-style Hanukkah adventure, complete with a visit from the ghost of Louis' great-great-great-great-grandmother Bubbie Rose (played by the always delightful Donna Pescow). It's a funny, heartfelt installment of a show that totally holds up more than two decades after its original run on Disney Channel.

Season 7, Episode 10 (watch here)

It's not necessarily the most informative episode, but this classic Season 7 installment — in which Ross tries (and fails) to teach his half-Jewish son Ben the miraculous tale of Hanukkah — culminates in an appearance from the titular Holiday Armadillo, whose last-ditch effort gets interrupted by the arrivals of Superman (Joey) and Santa Claus (Chandler). (To this day, we still laugh when Chandler sarcastically quips, "My favorite part was when Superman flew allllll the Jews out of Egypt!")

Season 3, Episode 10 (watch here)

In order to suck less at family and inspire excitement in her kids, Beverly decides to amp things up with a "Super Hanukkah!" celebration, featuring a Christmas tree-like bush and Hanukkah stockings socks. Pops is disappointed by Bev's ridiculous, made-up holiday, so he dresses up as Hanu-Claus ("I'm mashing two words together to make one offensive one") and comes bearing "a sack of shame" to remind his daughter of the traditions she's turning her back on. (What's a Jewish holiday without a bit of guilt?) In the end, the heartfelt, funny episode finds the Goldbergs embracing their own holiday story (and Chinese food on Christmas Day).

Season 6, Episode 10 (watch here)

Fran's dream of starting a new Hanukkah tradition with her family nearly goes up in flames — or rather, up in snow — when a blizzard prevents Max and Grace from getting home for the holiday. Fortunately, they get an extremely on-the-nose Hanukkah miracle when the heater in Max's car, which only has enough gas to run for one hour, runs for eight! Our only question: Considering how often Fran talks about being Jewish, why did it take the show six whole seasons to finally give us a Hanukkah episode?

Season 1, Episode 13 (watch here)

"Soon Ryan will learn the magic of Chrismukkah. Worry not, I will convert him," Seth declares in the classic episode, which brought the holiday to the masses. Yes, the interfaith celebration already existed for many families long before the Fox soap premiered, but there's no denying that Seth Cohen put the "greatest super holiday known to mankind" on the pop culture (and commercial merchandising) map. And while there's not much in the way of actual Hanukkah traditions in the episode, the spirit of family and inclusiveness looms large as the Cohens bring Ryan into their clan for his first Chrismukkah.

Season 4, Episode 1 (watch here)

Following its acclaimed Passover special in Season 3, the Nicktoon continued to embrace the Pickles' Judaism with its Season 4 premiere. The timeless sendup sees Tommy's grandfather Boris recount the story of the Maccabean Revolt, during which the babies imagine themselves as Judah and his army of "Maccababies," waging war against Angelica— err, Antonica's Seleucid Empire.