Ben is staying with Ross for the latter half of December, and Ross wants to teach Ben about Hanukkah. Ben likes the idea until he hears that Santa isn't a part of it, so Ross decides to get a Santa suit and teach Ben to celebrate both Holidays. However, it's so close to Christmas that Ross can't find any Santa outfits left, so in desperation he rents an armadillo costume and invents the character of The Holiday Armadillo. Armadillo!Ross is about to talk about Hanukkah when Chandler walks in as Santa Claus, ruining the moment. Thankfully, after hearing about Ross's plan, Chandler quickly gets in character as Santa and tells Ben that Santa and The Armadillo are friends, and offers to sit with Ben and hear about Hanukkah together. Monica and Superman!Joey join in listening to the story as well. Afterward, Monica tells Chandler to keep the suit on a little longer.
Phoebe worries that Rachel doesn't want to move back in with her because she's having so much fun with Joey and so tries to sabotage them, first by buying Joey a drum kit and then a tarantula, things that Rachel turns out to enjoy.
Tropes
- Answer Cut: With all the Santa costumes rented out, Ross asks the costume store attendant if they have anything else. Cut to Ross greeting Monica as the Holiday Armadillo.
- Artistic License – Religion: In-Universe. While Ross was telling the story of Hanukkah, at one point, Joey mentioned that Superman flew all the Jews out of Egypt. Ross wasn't too thrilled with that.
- Buffy Speak: Chandler has no idea what Ross's costume is, and so he says "What are you doing here ... weird ... turtle ... man?"
- Christmas Episode: 'Tis the season for dressing up as an armadillo in a desperate attempt to educate one's kid about Hanukkah, apparently.
- Creepy Souvenir: Phoebe brings a skull to Monica's. It belonged to her mother, who always put it out at Christmas as a reminder of death. It also holds candy.
- Drum Roll: Joey learns how to do this and does one when Phoebe reveals she got him the tarantula.
- Eye Scream: Joey reportedly has a habit of throwing drumsticks into the air and then shouting about hurting his eyes. He eventually gets goggles.
- Fetish: Monica wants Chandler to come to the bedroom and keep the Santa suit on. Chandler is ok with the idea only after making sure that Monica's dad never dressed up as Santa when Monica was a kid.
- Friendship Moment: Since Ben would prefer Santa stay instead of The Holiday Armadillo, Chandler says he will in order to hear about Hanukkah and asks the kid to join him listening to the story.
- Gone Horribly Right: Phoebe gets Joey a drum kit and a tarantula to drive Rachel out of his apartment. Turns out Rachel loves both things, but Monica and Chandler (and possibly the rest of the building) aren't so wild about the drums, while Joey is terrified of the tarantula.
- Hidden Depths: Rachel reveals she previously had a pet tarantula and adored the little thing until her cat ate it.
- Large Ham: Ross as The Holiday Armadillo and Chandler as Santa Claus.
- Like Parent, Like Spouse: Discussed. Chandler only agrees to keep the Santa suit for another night after Monica confirms her Dad never dressed up as Santa when she was little.
- The Maiden Name Debate: Defied in the first scene after the credits. Chandler asks Monica if she's going to take his name after they get married. She immediately says no because "'Bing's weird".
- Pseudo-Santa: Ross had custody of Ben during the holidays, and wanted to teach him about Hanuka, especially since Ben doesn't celebrate it back home since Carol and Susan were raised in Christian households and celebrate Christmas. On Christmas eve, Ross tried to rent a Santa Suit, but since they were all out, Ross showed up to Monica's house, who was babysitting Ben until Ross got back, as "the Holiday Armadillo," who delivers presents to all good children in the Southwest and Mexico.
- A Rare Sentence: Spoken by Monica without missing a beat: "Santa, the Armadillo, and I will have a little talk in the kitchen. There's a sentence I never thought I'd say."
- Roommate Drama: Phoebe tries to create drama between Rachel and Joey so the former will want to move back in with Phoebe. It doesn't work as Rachel loves all the noisy and creepy gifts. When Phoebe finally just explains what she was doing Rachel assures her that of course she wants to live with Phoebe again. Unfortunately they then discover that the remodelling after the fire turned the two bedrooms into a single room, so Rachel has to stay with Joey after all.
- Strange-Syntax Speaker: Ross becomes a version of this as The Holiday Armadillo, accenting random SYLL-ables and draaaaaaaaaawing out random sounnnnnnnnnnnnnnds from some of his words for no parTIC-uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuular reason (beyond maybe trying to disguise his voice so Ben doesn't know he's The Holiday Armadillo).
- That Came Out Wrong: When Phoebe presents Monica with a skull and says that it was her mother's, Rachel screams in horror before Phoebe explains that she just means it was owned by her mother before her death rather than being her mother's actual skull.
- Why Did It Have to Be Snakes?:
- It turns out that Joey is freaked out by tarantulas when Phoebe buys one for him.
- Rachel also mentions that fish freak her out.
- Yank the Dog's Chain: Just as Ross makes headway with Ben, Chandler enters dressed as Santa.
