"A Maccababy's gotta do what a Maccababy's gotta do!"
On December 4th, 1996, the Nickelodeon "Rugrats" holiday episode, "A Rugrats Chanukkah" premiered on television. The special tells the story of the holiday of Hanukkah through the eyes of the Rugrats, who imagine themselves as the main characters. "A Rugrats Chanukkah" is often credited for being the first Hanukkah specials on an American TV series, and received a Nielsen rating of 7.9 during its initial airing, as well as garnering positive reviews from critics. The episode was originally pitched in 1992, but was shelved in favor of "A Rugrats Passover", which aired in 1995. Along with other "Rugrats" episodes that featured the characters Boris and his wife, the special attracted controvery when the Anti-Defamation League compared the designs to anti-Semitic drawings from a 1930s Nazi newspaper.Â