Celebrate 10 Years of ‘Friends’ With the Holiday Armadillo

By Anne Cohen May 6, 2014

Today, dear friends (get it?), is the 10th anniversary of the “Friends” finale.

So to celebrate the good times spent with Ross, Phoebe, Monica, Rachel, Chandler and Joey, we revisit one of the iconic Jewish moments of the show: The Holiday Armadillo.

Ah interfaith problems.

Short summary: When Ross’ son Ben stays with him for the holidays, he tries to teach him about their shared Jewish heritage, which he feels has been neglected by Ben’s mother (who isn’t Jewish). Because a year without Santa sounds like a major punishment to any kid, Ross tries to come up with a suitable mascot for Hanukkah. And being Ross, the best he can do is a friendly mammal covered in a leathery armor shell.

So, sit and visit awhile, and let the Holiday Armadillo “tell you about the festival of lights.”

Anne Cohen was the Forward’s deputy digital media editor. When she’s not looking for the secret Jewish history of Voodoo in New Orleans, or making lists about Ruth Bader Ginsburg, she writes for The Assimilator. She graduated from the Columbia Graduate School of Journalism with an M.S. magazine concentration in 2012.

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