Christmas Eve on Sesame Street

Big Bird becomes worried after Oscar the Grouch teases him by suggesting that if Santa can't fit down the chimney, nobody would get presents. This planted doubt sends Big Bird on a quest to find answers, leading him to interview children and attempt reenactments to solve the mystery of how Santa delivers gifts.

Oscar is simply being his usual grouchy, mischievous self. He plants the seeds of doubt in Big Bird purely to tease him and cause worry. However, when Big Bird goes missing after spending the night on the roof, Oscar feels guilty and agrees to help search for him, showing his softer side.

Big Bird waits on the brownstone roof overnight because he wants to see Santa Claus in person and ask him directly how he manages to fit down chimneys. He stays up in the cold hoping to catch Santa arriving, but Santa has already come and gone by the time he returns home.

Big Bird enlists Snuffy to help him reenact Santa coming down a chimney, but the attempt falls flat and fails to demonstrate anything conclusive. The failed reenactment underscores the gap between belief and actually proving how Santa accomplishes his magical deliveries.

When Maria confronts Oscar about upsetting Big Bird and setting off the chain of events, Oscar admits he was only teasing. The confrontation causes him to feel guilty, and he agrees to help search for the missing Big Bird, showing a rare moment of cooperation and care from the grouchy character.

Bert and Ernie attempt to give each other Christmas presents in a twist on the classic O. Henry story 'The Gift of the Magi.' Bert trades his prized paper clip collection to buy a pink soap dish for Ernie's Rubber Duckie, while Ernie trades away Rubber Duckie to get Bert an empty cigar box, each sacrifice made in vain as neither ends up with what the other wanted.

Mr. Hooper, the shopkeeper, realizes the barter has gone awry and that Bert and Ernie have accidentally traded away their most treasured possessions. He restores their paper clip collection and Rubber Duckie as Christmas presents, turning the situation into a warm moment of generosity and friendship.

Cookie Monster desperately wants to contact Santa to ensure his cookies get delivered, so he attempts to write a letter. In his enthusiasm, he ends up eating the pencil, then the typewriter, and finally the telephone in a humorous streak of chaos. Gordon eventually suggests the simpler solution of just leaving cookies out for Santa.

Big Bird discovers that Santa has already come and gone, leaving presents under the tree. Rather than finding a magical explanation for how Santa fits down chimneys, he realizes that being together with family and friends is more meaningful than any answer. Gordon and Susan remind him that the holidays are about love and community, not just solving mysteries.

After Big Bird finds his presents and feels relieved that Santa came, Oscar pokes fun at him by bringing up how the Easter Bunny hides eggs in a single night, another logistical mystery that plays into the same kind of childhood questioning Big Bird had about Santa. Gordon and Susan remind everyone to focus on the holiday spirit and friendship rather than getting caught up in magical logistics.