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The office staffers hold a "Secret Santa" gift exchange at their Christmas party. Jim got Pam's name for the first time this year, and puts a great deal of effort into getting her the perfect gift. Michael buys a video iPod as his gift, exceeding the $20 limit. He is disappointed by the handmade item he receives from Phyllis and introduces a "Yankee Swap", where someone can choose to steal someone else's gift or open a new one. Jim is left feeling uncertain about the fate of his special present for Pam while the staff guns for Michael's gift. Michael disobeys company policy by buying an obscene amount of alcohol for the Christmas party.

• The party part of this episode was filmed over three days. The bowl of egg nog sat out for twelve hours a day, although they would cover it and put it in the refrigerator overnight. However, the cookies and pigs in a blanket became hard and stale, which is why there is very limited eating seen at the party.
• There's a number of firsts in this episode: It is the first appearance of Bob Vance of Vance Refrigeration (Phyllis' boyfriend) as well as the first mention of Meredith's drinking problem, which has since become a running gag.
• This episode was nominated for "Best Writing in a Comedy Series" at the 58th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards, but lost to the pilot for My Name is Earl. It was also one of six episodes submitted for the Best Comedy, which it went on to win.

• While Oscar and Creed are moving a desk, Creed moves it too far and pins Oscar to the wall.
• Michael talking to the camera about Dwight being the monster putting the star on the tree.
• The party planning committee are putting the decorations on the tree while Dwight asks people who they're going to the party with.
• Dwight comparing humans to bears opening presents.
• More of Yankee Swap, including Kelly getting mad at Oscar for not liking her gift, Oscar telling the camera that she got him the same gift last year, Oscar opening Pam's present, and Phyllis storming out of the room.
• Kelly and Toby trading presents. Toby had the "Kelly" nametag, and Kelly had the book of short stories.
• Kevin singing a whole verse of Christmas in Hollis.
  
• Dwight explaining to the camera why he didn't drink at the party.
• Ryan explaining to Toby that he got the book for him. Ryan then pulls out Creed's jacket, saying that's what he ended up with, and he's going to give it to a homeless person. Then Creed tells Oscar that he once had a radio show back in the 1970's.
• Angela saying to Kelly, "You behaved very badly tonight."
• Michael explaining to the camera that he loves it when people envy the gift you gave someone else.

Kevin: Why did you get it so big?
Michael: A, that’s what she said, and B, I wanted it to be impressive. The biggest day of the year deserves the biggest tree of the year.
Kevin: But what are we gonna do with this hacked-off part?
Michael: Well, that is a perfectly good mini-tree, Kevin. And we are going to sell that to charity. That’s what Christmas is all about.

Jim: So this year, for the first time ever, I got Pam in Secret Santa. And I got her this, uh, teapot, which I know she really wants, so she can make tea at her desk. But, I’m also gonna stuff it with some inside jokes. Like, this is my high school yearbook photo. She saw it at the party, and it really makes her laugh. Not sure why. Um, what else? Ooh, this is a hot sauce packet. She put this on a hot dog a couple of years ago because she thought it was ketchup. And, uh, it was really funny, so I kept the other two. This would take a little too long to explain (Jim holds up a little pencil), so I won’t. And this is the card. Because Christmas is the time to tell people how you feel.

Michael: Merry Christmas! Ho, ho, ho, pimp!

Michael: Double everything. Double ice cream. Double napkins. Double it. On me.

Michael: Check it out. Christmas bonus. Three thousand Gs.

Michael: I want people to cut loose. I want people … making out in closets. I want people hanging from the ceilings, lampshades on the heads. I want it to be a Playboy Mansion party.

Michael: Like booze ever killed anybody.

Dwight: You guys should use a handtruck.
Kevin: Do we have one?
Dwight: No.

Michael (to Darryl): You want to be Santa? Have you ever seen Santa?

Dwight: Michael, I would like to be the elf.
Michael: That makes sense, because he has elfish features.

Toby: I got Angela. She’s into these posters of babies dressed as adults. I got her one of those. I felt kind of weird buying that.

Oscar: I got Creed. And to tell you the truth, I don’t know anything about Creed. I know his name’s Creed. I know he works right over there. I think he’s Irish and I … I got him this, uh, shamrock keychain.

Kevin: I got myself for Secret Santa. I was supposed to tell somebody, but I didn’t.

Michael: Presents are the best way to show someone how much you care. It is like this tangible thing that you can point to and say, hey man, I love you this many dollars worth.

Jim: He obviously forgot to get me something. And then he went into his closet and dug out this little number. And then threw it in a bag.
Creed: Yep, that’s exactly what happened.

Jim: I thought that was called Nasty Christmas.

Michael: Everyone wants the iPod. It’s a huge hit. It is almost a Christmas miracle.

Michael: Reverse psychology is an awesome tool. I don’t know if you guys know about it, but basically, you make someone think the opposite of what you believe, and that tricks them into doing something stupid. Works like a charm.

Michael: Who wants to take paintball lessons? How is that better than an iPod?

Dwight: I want the teapot, gracias.
Jim: Gotta be kidding me.

Dwight: Yankee Swap is like … Machievelli meets … Christmas.

Michael: Unbelievable, I do the nicest thing that anyone’s ever done for these people, and they freak out. Well, Happy Birthday, Jesus, sorry your party’s so lame.

Michael: Now you’re the expert, is this enough to get twenty people plastered?
Store guy: Fifteen bottles of vodka? Yeah, it should do it.

Dwight: “A real man makes his own luck.” Billy Zane, Titanic.

Jim: To think that my gift to Pam will be used for that, it’s a little too much to handle.

Meredith: The deal is, this is my last hurrah, cuz I made a New Year’s resolution, that I’m not going to drink anymore. During the week.

Bob: Bob Vance, Vance Refrigeration.
Ryan: What line of work you in, Bob?

Michael: Anybody making out in here? Not yet, give it time.

Michael: Kudos to Ryan, King of the Party Committee!

Jim: This is an amazing gift because it comes with bonus gifts.

Pam: Yeah, I think I made the right choice.

Packer: Merry Christmas, asswipe!

Packer: What’s up, ma nerds?

Packer: Pack Man need a drinky.

Ryan: Whose butt is that?
Kevin: Mine.
Ryan: Oh, how did I not guess that.

Dwight: You shouldn’t do things like that. The man is supposed to do that!

Michael: It really is the greatest day of all time.