TEXT: [Scene: Monica, Chandler, and Phoebe's, Chandler is on the phone, Rachel and Monica are sitting in the kitchen.] Chandler: Buh-bye. (Hangs up the phone) I just got us reservations at Michelle's and tickets to the Musicman to celebrate our first holiday season as a betroughed couple. Monica: Betrothed... (Corrects him) Chandler:...betrothed couple. Phoebe: (entering carrying a skull) Hey! Chandler: Hey! Rachel and Monica: Hi! Phoebe: Haaaa... (Puts the skull on the table)... ahhhh! Chandler: Pheebs? Phoebe: Huh? Chandler: Skull? Phoebe: Oh, yeah, it's my mom's. Rachel: (freaking out) Oh my god!! Phoebe: No, no, no. It's not! It's not my mom. It belonged to mom. Yeah, no, she used to put it out every Christmas to remind us, that even though it's Christmas, people still die. And, you can put candy in it. (She grabs the skull, pulls out a stick of licorice, and takes a bite.) Ross: (entering) Hey! All: Hey! Monica: (Offering Ross the skull) Licorice? Ross: (Thinking it over) Sure! (Takes one) Hey, I just found out, I get Ben for the holidays this year. All: Ohh! That's great! Monica: Are you gonna dress up as Santa? Ross: Nope. I mean, I know Susan does every year, but I think I wanna take this year to teach him all about Hanukkah. Phoebe: And maybe I could teach Ben about the Christmas skull and how people die. Rachel: You may need to use this year to teach Ben about Phoebe. Ross: Hmm. (Joey comes out of the bathroom reading a newspaper) Joey: Hey. (He exits) Rachel: (to Monica) Did you know he was in there? Monica: No. Chandler
SUMMARY:
Ross wants to introduce Ben, who is half-Jewish, to Hanukkah , though Ben loves Christmas. Phoebe and Rachel's apartment has been repaired, but Phoebe fears Rachel prefers living at Joey's. To prevent this, she presents Joey with various gifts - a spider that scares Joey more than Rachel and a drum kit that annoys Monica. Ross dresses up as the "Holiday Armadillo" to excite Ben for Hanukkah. In 2019, The Herald-Dispatch called it the third best Christmas TV episode of all time. [3]