- Written by James Asmus and Trish Forstner, Art by Andy Price
"When Rarity is invited to three parties on Hearth's Warming Eve-one in Manehattan, one in Canterlot, and one at home in Ponyville-she is loathe to miss out on any of the fun, and decides that instead of deciding, she'll just go to all three! But between train rides, avalanches, and general distraction, this plan doesn't work out as well as she'd hoped..."
This issue provides examples of:
- An Aesop: For "Holiday Hassle": You should spend the holidays with those who mean the most to you.
- Buffy Speak: While organizing the Canterlot party, Twilight asks where the "big... cheese fountain thingy" is.
- The Cameo:
- Prince Aspen briefly appears in "Holiday Hassle", pulling a sleigh full of gifts.
- A nutcracker fashioned in Starlight Glimmer's likeness is also shown.
- Continuity Nod: One of the decorations at the Canterlot party is Windy the Windigo.
- Epic Fail: Spike's attempt to ensure he and Rarity have a "proper entrance" at the Canterlot party ends with him walking straight into the door.
- Expy: "Krumple Horn", the creature Pinkie makes up, is said to punish those who are naughty around the holidays, much like The Krampus.
- Exposed to the Elements: At the end of "Holiday Hassle"; After spending so much time out in the snow the night before, Rarity, Spike, Twilight and Rainbow Dash are all sick.
- Gaslighting: Discord, making himself look like the shadow of "Krumple Horn", allowed Gallus to see him, inciting his fear that the creature was real. He also wrote "Enjoy Hearths Warming Without Me" on the wall of Ocellus's room after she left for home early, further instilling the fear of "Krumple Horn" into the Young Six.
- Innocently Insensitive: In the opening scene of "Holiday Hassle", Pinkie accidentally hurts Applejack's injured leg twice.
- Nice Girl: Chiffon Ruffles, the only pony at the Manehattan designers' party who has a pleasant, friendly chat with Spike and Rarity.
- O.O.C. Is Serious Business: Spike is shocked when Rarity offers to carry him back to Ponyville, noting that it's "physical labor".
- Real After All: The Krumple Horn is implied to be this at the end of the back-up story; when Discord states that he wasn't responsible for the pie prank, a Krumple Horn-like shadow is seen on the wall, and the next frame shows a letter signed by the supposedly fake creature.
- Scare 'Em Straight: The "Krumple Horn" story invokes this, with Twilight calling in Discord to pretend to be the creature in order to get the Young Six to behave in the lead-up to the holidays.
- Shout-Out:
- The artist at the Manehattan party is modelled after Andy Warhol.
- An avalanche hits Rarity and Spike's train at "Poirot Pass".
