I Won't Be Home for Christmas/References

Cultural references

 * The episode title is a reference to the song by Bing Crosby "" and to the song by Blink-182 "".
 * Immediately after the opening sequence, a jazz version of "" plays over a scene of children ice-skating outdoors, a reference to the Peanuts special .
 * Cosmic Wars: Holiday Special is a parody of the .
 * Comic Book Guy has Hulk and The Thing (from Marvel) bookstops on his bookshelf.
 * Grounded is a parody of the 2013 computer-animated film .
 * Homer refers to Mr. Burns as and Burns mentions his schedule says he'll be visited by 3 spirits; both references to A Christmas Carol.
 * Moe says to a mouse "Hey. It's the night before Christmas. Stop stirring." A reference to "". The poem was previously parodied in the comic story 'Twas the Eve Before Christmas.
 * The couch gag is a reference to Frozen:
 * Lisa is Elsa.
 * Marge is Anna.
 * Bart is Kristoff.
 * Maggie is a Troll.
 * Homer is Olaf.
 * Santa's Little Helper is reindeer.
 * The ice castle that Lisa raises is a reference to Elsa's castle.

Trivia

 * The opening sequence is a subtle rework of the opening from the previous season's Christmas episode, White Christmas Blues. Among the changes:
 * As the clouds part at the beginning, Barney as Santa in a sleigh pulled by reindeer lead by Santa's Little Helper (as Rudolph) is replaced by The Rich Texan in a convertible pulled by buffalo.
 * As Bart snowboards away from the school, two polar bears play catch with Groundskeeper Willie. In the previous version, Bart's landing revealed Grampa under the snow, with a sign "Still warmer than nursing home," seemingly having been buried by Willie, who is shoveling snow nearby. Additionally, the newer version deletes a number of Christmas trees and buildings in the background.
 * The sign in the background as Homer works is changed from "94 days till March 28, actual birth of Christ" to "31 days until Greek Orthodox Christmas."
 * Gerald already has the "defective" stamp on his head, but Maggie gives him a present rather than him being taken away.
 * Instead of "Good King Wenceslas," the band plays "Jingle Bells," and when Lisa pops back in the door, snow falls on her.
 * Moe now stands at the door to his bar happy, with an ice "Venus de Milo" instead of standing there grumpy and alone.
 * Patty and Selma were originally Dr. Seuss characters, but are now hockey players.
 * As Bart passes the Chinese restaurant with Jewish characters Krusty, Dolph and Krusty's agent visible through the window, Rabbi Krustofsky is no longer seated at the table. Per his death in the season premiere's Clown in the Dumps, he is now seen hovering nearby as a ghost, along with the ghost of Joan Rivers.
 * While Lou, Dr. Hibbert and Carl appear celebrating Kwanzaa in season 25, Snake is seen holding up a sidewalk Santa in season 26.
 * As Marge drives herself and Maggie home in the sleigh, the Snow Monster is added to the sharp right turn.
 * They are then chased down by Mr. Burns and Mr. Smithers in a sleigh pulled by Burns' guard dogs. In the season 25 version, Crazy Cat Lady appears in a shopping cart pulled by her cats, which distracts Burns' dogs. The version in this episode also adds the Sea Captain in a boat on skis being pulled by belly-sliding penguins.
 * As the camera quickly pans across numerous characters over to the Simpson house for the family's return home, the previous version had Edna as an angel with wings (and her coffee mug). This was removed for season 26.
 * Martin, dressed as Elsa, was supposed to be in the couch gag but was removed. He was added, however, as Ice Princess Martin skin, to The Simpsons: Tapped Out, with the Ice Castle. In the game, he references the couch gag in the episode, asking to be Elsa in it, but Lisa says that she will be Elsa.

Continuity

 * Gil introduces Homer to his "family", namely Crazy Cat Lady, Kirk Van Houten and the . Gil celebrated St. Patrick's day with his "family" in "Kill Gil, Volumes I & II".
 * 's tow truck is seen. ("Midnight Towboy")
 * Louie's tow truck is subsequently flash frozen after it hits a fire hydrant. This happened to Ned's car in "Skinner's Sense of Snow".
 * Several of the characters from the episode coming together at the end of the episode is reminiscent of "Burns, Baby Burns".

Goofs

 * When Bart and Lisa come downstairs on Christmas, Lisa's slippers disappear after the first scene.