- Peter having his VCR destroyed by FBI agents as punishment for taping Monday Night Football without permission from the NFL is a reference to an old controversy regarding the legality of recording copyrighted TV broadcasts. The FBI agents quote almost verbatim the disclaimer given during nearly all sporting event broadcasts.
- When Lois rampages through Quahog in a frenzied rage, she stomps into a black and white scene of a man saying “I’ve changed my mind. I wanna live again. I wanna live again!” before being pushed by Lois into the river below. This is a reference to the film It's a Wonderful Life.
- During Lois’ rampage, she runs across a group of children celebrating the creation of Frosty the Snowman. The magical hat brings him to life, only to be a curse when Lois melts the happy creature by spitting alcohol across a lit match.
- After Lois asks Peter if he gave away the family’s Christmas presents, Peter responds: “Lois, if you strike me down, I shall become more powerful than you can possibly imagine.” This is almost an exact quote of Obi-Wan Kenobi in his climactic duel with Darth Vader in Star Wars.
- Peter asks for “Lights, please,” like Linus in A Charlie Brown Christmas.
- The fictional movie KISS Saves Santa, whose plot apparently involves the kidnapping of Santa Claus by pterodactyls, is a reference to the 1978 movie KISS Meets the Phantom of the Park and more generally, the tradition of Christmas specials involving the starring characters “saving Christmas”.
- Stewie remarks that he is playing the part of Jesus, brought to life by actor Jeffrey Hunter. Hunter starred in King of Kings and, as Captain Christopher Pike, was the captain of the USS Enterprise (NCC-1701) in Star Trek’s first pilot, "The Cage". Hunter was then replaced by William Shatner who, as Captain Kirk, is often seen seducing alien women. This prompts Stewie’s comment that “Hunter was good enough to die for our sins but not quite up to the task of seducing green women.”
- When Peter is chasing the old lady in the shopping mall he finds her in a fish store. Called “The Age of Aquariums,” this is a reference to “The Age of Aquarius” in the rock musical Hair.
- In Stewie's nightmare, Santa deflects Stewie's ray-gun blasts and telepathically grabs the gun, this is similar to Darth Vader's actions in a scene from Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back.
- Towards the end when Stewie opens his second gift, a glowing light comes out of the box, much like from "Wallace's case" in Pulp Fiction.
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