Friends season 7's Holiday Armadillo episode had a special connection to Adam Sandler's 1999 movie, Big Daddy. The NBC sitcom featured eight Christmas-themed episodes over the course of its ten-season run. While David Crane and Marta Kauffman's comedy series became notorious for its annual Thanksgiving episodes, it produced a handful of December holiday specials as well. "The One With The Holiday Armadillo" stands as not only one of the best Christmas episodes in Friends' history, but it's also one of the most beloved in TV history.

"The One With The Holiday Armadillo" originally aired in December 2000 and focused on Ross Geller (David Schwimmer) frantically planning a suitable celebration after learning that he would have his son, Ben Geller (Cole Sprouse), for the holidays. Seeing as the kid was half-Jewish, Ross decided to teach Ben about Hanukkah and his Jewish heritage. Ben, however, was a big fan of Christmas traditions so Ross' plans were coming off as some type of punishment.

Related: Friends: Joey's "How you Doin'?" Catchphrase Started Later Than You Think

To surprise Ben, Ross wanted to create a spectacle that would serve as a learning opportunity for his young son. Since he couldn't rent a Santa Claus suit, Ross elected for a giant armadillo outfit. From there, the Holiday Armadillo was born, and Ross used the character to teach Ben about the story of Hanukkah. Though Chandler Bing (Matthew Perry) arrived as Santa, and Joey Tribbiani (Matt LeBlanc) showed up dressed as Superman, Ben was receptive to Ross' teachings. By the end of the night, the group came together to the Hanukkah candles, making the Holiday Armadillo a great success. Funnily enough, just a year and a half prior, Sprouse appeared in Big Daddy where he was taught a lesson from an adult male dressed in a special costume.

Friends & Big Daddy Used Funny Characters To Teach A Lesson

Adam Sandler in Big Daddy

In June 1999, Adam Sandler starred in Big Daddy, a comedy directed by Dennis Dugan that followed a 32-year-old slacker that was forced to take care of the abandoned son of his roommate. While Sandler portrayed the slacker, Sonny, Cole Sprouse and his twin brother Dylan shared the role of young Julian. Sonny understandably struggled when taking care of the boy, seeing as he didn't even have his own life together. Over time, Sonny bonded with Julian, and he learned how to build trust. Since Julian's favorite toy was a Scuba Steve action figure, Sonny decided to dress up as Scuba Sam, Steve's alleged father. While pretending to be the real figure, Sonny convinced Julian that it was important to take a bath and that he needed to study hard so one day, he could make it into the Scuba Squad.

The sequence interestingly mirrored Ross' attempt at using the Holiday Armadillo to instill an important lesson into Ben. While it may have just been a coincidence, Friends may have also taken the idea from Big Daddy, especially considering Cole Sprouse's involvement in both projects (and Sandler's association with Hanukkah, due to his famous debut of "The Chanukah Song" on Saturday Night Live). Considering the success of Big Daddy at the box office, the title may have remained in the mind of many movie fans. Years later, the legacies of both the Holiday Armadillo and Scuba Sam (or Steve) continue to carry on.

Next: New Girl Improved One Of Friends' Most Controversial Elements