- Release Date: December 14, 1996
Kenan wants to earn enough money in order to buy a mountain bike for Christmas, so working as a Mall Santa helped get his money faster. However, he hears about how a family who cannot afford another bike after their's was stolen, so Kenan gets conflicted on whether he should spend his money on a bike for him or a bike for the family.
This episode provides examples of:
- Armor-Piercing Question: "Do you want the bike: yay or nay?"
- Apathetic Citizens: None of the patrons at Rigby's try to help Chris when he gets attacked by the Santa robot, instead rooting for the Santa robot to kick his ass.
- Aside Glance: Kel over Kenan somehow talking to a girl from Fishlockia.
- Borrowed Catchphrase: At the end, the entire cast, sans Kel and Kenan, say, "Awwwwwwww, here it goes!", to which Kel begrudgingly says, "Awwwwwww, that's my line!"
- Bratty Half-Pint: Sam, one of the mall customers, is extremely rude to the Mall Santa and knocks him unconscious when he would not give him a real airplane.
- Butt-Monkey: Roger and Chris. The former gets hit by a Christmas tree while Kel tries to get the star on top and the latter gets brutally beaten by a robotic Santa while everyone sadistically watches in joy.Roger: No, no! I always put the star on top of the tree. It's my job every Christmas. (the Christmas tree falls on top of him) Aahhh!
- Children Are Innocent: All Daniel asks for is a bike for his little sister, Katie, to replace one that was stolen.
- Christmas Episode
- Comedic Sociopathy: Chris gets mauled by the Santa robot while none of the patrons at Rigby's try to help him out.
- Exactly What It Says on the Tin: The Tubaphone. Because it's not just a tuba... IT'S A PHONE!!!
- Greater Need Than Mine: Why Kenan uses his money to buy presents for needy kids.
- Humble Hero: Kenan was content to keep his good deed to himself, though Kel spilled the beans to the family. He insists it was no big deal.
- Karmic Jackpot:
- Kenan gets a legitimate job instead of embarking on a scheme, puts others before himself, and didn't even try to brag about it, which leads to him being rewarded in the end.
- Daniel only wanted Katie to be happy this Christmas, so Kenan rewards him with a bike of his own.
- Mall Santa: Kenan agrees to be one when the store owner offers him the amount of money that he needs to get the mountain bike he wants. He winds up doing such a good job that Kel suggests he do it year round.
- My God, What Have I Done?: Kenan when he learns he promised a new bike to a kid whose mother can't afford one.
- Parents as People: Daniel and Katie's mother wants to give them a great Christmas, but doesn't have the money to afford presents. She's clearly conflicted about lying to her children and disappointed in herself, but also trying to cope and telling Kenan that he doesn't have to worry about her.
- Pet the Dog: Kenan selflessly gives up his money for the mountain bike he's been saving all year to buy and instead spends it on presents, including new bikes, for two poor children.
- Shout-Out: As Santa, Kenan effortlessly talks to a girl in her native language and sings a song with her.
- So Proud of You: Kenan's parents say this to him this word for word after Kel tells them about his good deed.
- Suddenly Always Knew That: Played for Laughs with the little girl from "Fishlakia" who comes to see Santa!Kenan. Kenan is suddenly able to speak fluent Fishlakian (which is nonsensical gibberish), even singing a version of "Jingle Bells" in the language. As noted under Shout-Out, it's a reference to a similar scene in Miracle on 34th Street, which had a Dutch girl in the original and a Deaf girl in the 1994 remake.
- Suspiciously Specific Denial: When Sheryl says Kel told them what he did, Kenan immediately shouts that they can't prove anything before asking what they're talking about.
- Sweet and Sour Grapes. Kenan winds up sacrificing his money for the mountain bike so he can buy bikes for the two kids whose mom couldn't afford them. While he figures he can just save up his money again and get the bike next year, Santa instead brings it to him Christmas Eve to reward him for his generosity.
- Throw the Dog a Bone:
- This is one of the few episodes where things actually go right for Kenan in the end: not only does he help a poor family celebrate Christmas by giving up his own money to buy them presents, he ends up rewarded with both his parents' pride and the mountain bike he wanted in the first place, courtesy of the real Santa Claus.
- Though Chris spends most of the episode being beaten up by Robo-Santa, he does get to have a genuinely nice Christmas Eve with the Rockmore family as a guest at their dinner.
- What You Are in the Dark: Kenan has finally earned all the money he needs to purchase his mountain bike, but he can't stop thinking about the impoverished mother who is unable to afford presents for her children. She specifically told him not to worry about it; the only other person who knows about the situation is Kel; and Kenan has legitimately earned all of the cash he needs through his jobs and saving throughout the year. But he ultimately chooses to spend the money on the poor family instead. He's even content to keep the secret to himself—the only reason his family finds out is because Kel tells them, and even then, Kenan insists that "it was nothing."
