small visual joke that was added was that the clock tower is shown at the end of the episode and the time on the clock is the same as the actual time that scene would have been shown in its original airing. Cultural references The children skating on an iced-over pond is a reference to A Charlie Brown Christmas, the first TV special featuring the characters from the Peanuts comic strip. The robot Tinny Tim from the "shelter for down-and-out robots" is a reference to the character Tiny Tim from Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol. Bongo, a character from Matt Groening's comic strip Life in Hell, is one of the animals being sold at the pet shop that Fry goes into to buy an Xmas gift for Leela. Fry falling down the face of the clock is a reference to The Hudsucker Proxy and to the comic actor Harold Lloyd film Safety Last!. The gift exchange of combs references the short story "The Gift of the Magi" by O. Henry. Reception Zack Handlen of The A.V. Club gave the episode an A−, stating, "As Christmas episodes go, this manages to be at once cynical and heartfelt, although the heart part is still a little iffy—it’s sweet, but somehow perfunctory." References External links "Xmas Story" at The Infosphere. Futurama (season 2) episodes American Christmas television episodes 1999 American television episodes Television episodes directed by Peter Avanzino Television episodes written by David X. Cohen