Christmas

Christmas and the festive celebrations of the birth of Jesus Christ remains the foremost annual cultural festival in most parts of the western world, celebrated even by non-Christians, atheists and agnostics, even if it is not marked by such groups as a religious holiday in itself.
Within the UK television industry Christmas, from the very start of the service beginning in the 1930s, was marked as a special season in the same way that it had been and continues to be within the radio, publishing and retail industries. Special high-quality and budget-generous programmes were devised with an accent either on religion or on comedy and variety entertainment. Regular programming, especially dramas, would either take a short break over the Christmas period or the festive season would become an integral part of the storyline and Emmerdale has been no exception in this respect. The holiday has always featured within the storylines although the nature in which has been treated has changed along with viewer tastes and habits in the years since 1972.
== Christmas storylines ==
* 1997 - Marlon Dingle is disowned by his family after he and cousin Sam are beaten up when Eric Pollard figures out they robbed him.
* 1998 - Vic Windsor dies after hitting his head on a fridge cabinet after trying to prevent an armed robbery committed by Billy Hopwood. Lisa Dingle gives birth to a daughter, not knowing she was pregnant.
* 2000 - Bernice Blackstock and Ashley Thomas marry.
* 2001 - Bernice Thomas gives birth to a daughter. She is unsure whether the father is Ashley Thomas or Carlos Diaz.
* 2002 - Louise Appleton discovers her boyfriend was her stalker. Louise grabs the wheel to try stop the car but they end up crashing.
* 2005 - Belle Dingle and Daz Eden are rescued after falling into a mineshaft.
* 2006 - Tom King is murdered by an unknown assailant on his wedding night to Rosemary King.
* 2007 - Rosemary King commits suicide offscreen.
* 2008 - Victoria Sugden falls through ice and discovers Shane Doyle's body underneath.
* 2010 - Chas Dingle jilts Carl King at the altar after discovering his affair with Eve Jenson.
* 2011 - Amy Wyatt puts her son up for adoption.
* 2012 - Cameron Murray buries Alex Moss's dead body in the woods.
* 2013 - Alicia Harding and David Metcalfe remarry. Leyla Harding returns unexpectedly. Declan Macey attempts suicide by burning down Home Farm but can't go through with it.
* 2014 - Andy Sugden and Katie Addyman remarry.
* 2015 - Belle Dingle reveals her father, Zak and Joanie Wright's affair.
* 2016 - Joanie Dingle breaks up with Zak. Zak asks to get back with Lisa Dingle but she refuses.
* 2017 - While in hospital, Robert Sugden has a "Groundhog Day meets A Christmas Carol" type nightmare, where he is frequently visited in each nightmare by the ghost of Val Pollard. In the flashback, the driver who runs over Robert is revealed to be Lawrence White.
* 2018 - The wedding of Jessie Grant and Marlon Dingle and the arrival of Jessie's son Billy Fletcher. 
* 2019 - Maya Stepney leaves a baby is left on Farrers Barn's doorstep, leading to the realisation David Metcalfe or his teenage son Jacob Gallagher is the father. Meanwhile, Graham Foster reveals to the Tates that she and Andrea Tate cheated on his husband Jamie back in the day and Marlon Dingle who listens in hears that Graham and Rhona Goskirk are planning to move to France with his son Leo. 
* 2020 - Paddy Kirk cancels his surprise wedding to Chas when she says Christmas Day weddings are cursed. A scorned Charity Dingle bursts into the church dressed for a funeral ready to object the marriage however she is shocked to find the church empty. Chas later decides to surprise Paddy by rescheduling the wedding for later that day. Al Chapmans mystery woman is revealed to be Debbie Dingle.
* 2021 - Manpreet and Meena Jutla are injured when The Woolpack is exploded by Al Chapman for insurance.
== Christmas episodes ==
=== Emmerdale ===
Episodes were broadcast on 25th December on the following years:
* 1970s - None.
* 1980s - None.
* 1990s - 1997, 1998, 1999
* 2000s - 2000 (I) (II), 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009
* 2010s - 2010, 2011, 2012 (I) (II), 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019
* 2020s - 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023
=== Text Santa ===
* 2010s - 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015
== Gallery ==
=== Promotional cast images ===
25 12 EMMERDALE 4.jpg|2004
DingleChristmas.jpg|2009
EmmerdaleChristmas2014.jpg|2014
Embargo-15-dec-emmerdale-christmas-with-the-dingle-family.jpg|2015
Christmas 2018.jpg|2018
=== Promotional character images ===
25 12 03EMMERDALE.jpg|Cain & Charity (2003)
Charity cain christmas.jpg|Charity & Cain (2009)
AliciaDavidChristmas.jpeg|Alicia & David (2013)
RobertSugdenChristmas2017.jpg|Robert Sugden (2017)
Category:Christmas