The holidays are supposed to be a magical and cozy time of joy and togetherness, when families gather for annual Christmas card photos and dress up for holiday events, with everything feeling merry and bright…right?
Tell that to parents trying to wrangle their little cherubs into scratchy sweaters, uncomfortable dress pants and inexplicably difficult-to-put-on snow boots.
The ideal vs. the reality of the holiday season is the premise of an Saturday Night Live spoof ad that aired in 2019 and is making the rounds on social media. It starts as a normal Macy’s holiday sale commercial would—seriously merry and bright—then devolves into a hilarious representation of the behind-the-scenes reality parents deal with every year.
“Tis the season for wrestling your wiggly little monster into thick winter clothes,” a woman says in an upbeat, sing-songy tone, before announcing sale prices on “hard, shiny shoes that hurt” and “holiday rompers she’ll never get off in time.”
Watch how SNL nails it:
“The romper one is real. I damn near had to get cut out of one of them things,” wrote one commenter on TikTok.
“Now that I’m the parent of a young child, this made my night,” wrote another.
“The couple arguing about the boots is the most relatable thing,” shared another. “Nothing tests a marriage more than getting your kids ready to leave for something.”
“‘You don’t wear jeans to church’ is ONE HUNDRED THOUSAND PERCENT my dad,” shared another.
Several commenters loved how the little girl was laughing while the parents were arguing over the boots, which others had to go back and watch again to catch.
“Clothes they’ll hate create the memories you’ll love.” That about sums up dressing kids up for the holidays, doesn’t it? Fabulous job on this one, SNL.