The best television Christmases inspire warm, fuzzy feelings in viewers and give them a sense of hope and love regardless of their relationships with their own families.
Days of Our Lives has mastered the art of the Christmas episode, featuring a family Christmas at the Horton house full of friends, family — and of course, the tradition of hanging ornaments with each character’s name on them.
With over 30 years of source material to choose from, it was hard to narrow down our favorites! Here are the top 13 Horton Christmases.
Don’t see your fave listed? Head over to the comments to share!
For more Days of Our Lives discussion, check out our Days of Our Lives Round Table discussion on Sundays!
The Cast Sings Christmas Songs
1984’s Christmas episode included the entire cast singing Christmas carols, followed by McDonald Carey and Frances Reid (aka Tom and Alice Horton) breaking the fourth wall to wish the audience a Merry Christmas. What a sweet Christmas memory!
Shawn Douglas Gets His Ornament
Giving newborns and new family members a personal ornament is a Horton family tradition, but Shawn Douglas is the only character to get one prior to his being named. He got an ornament marked “Baby” when Hope was pregnant with him.
A Lovely Tribute to Tom and Alice
“Always” was Tom and Alice’s song, and in 1990 their children got together and sang it for them as a Christmas tribute. What a beautiful Christmas gift!
Jo Gets an Ornament
Jo’s getting an ornament was significant not only because she became part of the extended family despite having been estranged from her son Jack for many years after giving him up for adoption, but because actress Joy Garrett passed away mere weeks after the episode aired.
Tom’s Last Christmas
An ill Tom spent his final Christmas in the hospital, where he and Alice read the Christmas story together from his hospital bed. Sadly, actor McDonald Carey passed away only three months after this episode aired.
Marlena is Possessed by the Devil!
1994 was a sad Christmas for many because it was the first one since Tom Horton and the actor who played him passed away. But the most memorable part of this Christmas episode was a possessed Marlena levitating above her bed. Love it or hate it, this storyline — and the creepy Christmas ending — is not one that viewers can easily forget.
A Memorial to Tom Horton
Christmas was never the same after Tom Horton’s death, and in 1996 the cast paid tribute to MacDonald Carey by remembering Tom on Christmas, complete with flashbacks. The show inserted a memorial plaque to McDonald Carey into the ending credits.
Alice Sees Tom’s Ghost
The one and only time flashbacks were used to suggest that Tom Horton was still around. Throughout the Christmas 2000 episode, flashbacks were used not to remember Tom but to use him as a ghost, making this a very unusual and touching Christmas indeed.
Tribute to 9/11
The 2001 Christmas episode came just three months after the worst terrorist attack on US soil, and DAYS offered an unusual tribute to all those who had died. Not only were special ornaments seen on the tree in honor of the first responders, but the actors spent the entire episode talking to the audience as themselves and offering flashbacks of their favorite Christmas episodes before getting back into character to wish all their viewers a merry Christmas.
First Christmas After Alice’s Death
The first Christmas after actress Frances Reid passed away was an emotional one for both characters and viewers. Alice’s absence was felt keenly as Julie hung her and Tom’s ornaments and the camera panned over to Alice’s empty chair.
JJ Makes Amends
A SORASed JJ played by then newcomer Casey Moss spent most of the summer of 2013 wreaking havoc, but by Christmas he had calmed down and begun turning himself around. Not only did JJ get a big hug from Julie, who told him they were both the reformed bad seeds of the Horton family, but he managed to sneak out to give little Parker a new toy train to replace one JJ had deliberately broken when he was acting out.
Doug Passes the Torch
2015 was a somber Christmas because of how many people had passed away that fall thanks to a serial killer being on the loose. But not only did Doug encourage everyone to make the best of it, but also asked JJ and Abigail to promise to keep the Horton family Christmas traditions alive when the sad day came that he and Julie were no longer able to do so.
Theo Wakes Up
2017 could have been a depressing Christmas, since Theo was in a coma after being shot and JJ almost committed suicide because of his guilt. Theo’s waking up on Christmas Day was a true Christmas Miracle
