Original air date: 12/6/2009note
Santa Claus narrates a story about the time Swiper learned it's not fun to swipe on Christmas and even got in big trouble for doing so. When he tries to swipe the Christmas tree star from Dora's Nochebuena party, he ends up on Santa's naughty list! It's up to Dora to help Swiper prove he can change, by traveling into the past and future to help him fill up ornaments and a star on his card — and learn the true meaning of Christmas — all while discovering it's better to give than to receive, or swipe!
Tropes:
- Bad Future: Due to getting put on the naughty list and seemingly not finding a way to be removed from it, Swiper becomes so embittered over not getting presents and watching everyone else enjoy theirs that he completely stops caring about others at all and becomes a true thief, stealing so much stuff that the future Dora outright tells the present Swiper, in a rather bitter fashion, there's nothing left for him to steal and he's ruined Christmas. Thankfully, this future is changed at the end of the episode.
- Break the Haughty: The beginning of the episode has Swiper learning the hard way that even if he isn't stopped by the "Swiper, no swiping!" chant, he can get in trouble for swiping something if he is caught doing so. When Santa arrives in the nick of time to prevent the Christmas party from being ruined and finds out that Swiper was responsible as result of him attempting to swipe on Christmas again in spite of so many past warnings, he is not happy at all and gives Swiper an appropriate punishment for not listening to him: a spot on the naughty list. Swiper is not only saddened by this, since that means he won't get presents anymore, but also remorseful, finally understanding that there are consequences to his actions. So to redeem himself and get back on the nice list, Swiper, with Dora's help, travels through time to learn the true meaning of Christmas.
- Christmas Episode: The second after Season 2's "A Present for Santa".
- Christmas Songs: "Nochebuena", sung as Dora and her friends are getting ready for the party.
- "Could Have Avoided This!" Plot: The special would have never happened had Swiper actually remembered Santa's warning and had more control over his swiping instincts.
- Extra-Long Episode: The ninth in the series, and the only one that is seasonal related.
- Framing Device: The story is told in Flashback by Santa Claus as he remembers the time Swiper changed his swiping ways on Christmas.
- Happy Holidays Dress: Dora wears a flowing red gown to the Nochebuena party.
- Ignored Epiphany: Before Swiper shows up, Boots brings up Santa's warning to Swiper that if he keeps up his swiping on Christmas, he will get on the naughty list. Unfortunately for everyone, Swiper is just unable to resist doing what he loves the most and takes the star from the Christmas tree, causing it to topple and almost fall on the food and presents. Then, when Swiper is caught red-handed by Santa, he tries to promise that "I won't do it again", but Santa isn't fooled, as he knows Swiper has lied about that promise before just to keep swiping, and punishes him with a transfer from the nice list to the naughty list.
- Laser-Guided Karma: Not counting all of the times he's been stopped with "Swiper, no swiping!" before he can swipe anything, Swiper, for the first time in the series, actually faces genuine repercussions for swiping, as his attempt to swipe the star from the Christmas tree gets him in big trouble with Santa and placed on the naughty list as punishment for failing to resist his swiping habits. Luckily, Swiper is given a chance at redemption and travels through time with Dora to learn the true meaning of Christmas.
- Musical Chores: The gang sings "Recoge" as they clean up the wrapping trail to Older Swiper's castle.
- My God, What Have I Done?: After he is put on the naughty list for failing to control his swiping instincts on Christmas and almost ruining the Nochebuena party, Swiper leaves sadly. He doesn't say it outright, but with that guilty and remorseful look on his face, it's clear that he realizes he's finally gone too far.
- No-Sell: In the Bad Future, saying "Swiper, No Swiping!" no longer works on Swiper.Older Swiper: That doesn't work anymore! Heh heh heh heh!
- Retcon: Two of them during the past scenes:
- Both the "Baby" and "Toddler" timelines have Boots, Benny, Isa, Tico, and Swiper as babies all together on Christmas Eve; however, the episode "Dora's First Trip" shows they did not know each other at that time, aside from Boots knowing Tico.
- In addition to the "Toddler" timeline, Dora was shown with the other animals as toddlers, when she didn't know any of them until the time of "Dora's First Trip" when she was her current age.
- Special Edition Title: This is the fourth episode to use a special intro.
- True Meaning of Christmas: What Swiper was trying to learn for the episode.
- Triumphant Reprise: "Nochebuena" gets reprised in a more celebratory manner near the end of the episode after Swiper has been removed from the naughty list.
