Can't say I'd ever heard of this before seeing it mentioned here, although I've seen a number of sketches which are obviously either derivatives of it, or from which it was derived.
The only Christmas TV traditions in the UK (now becoming less so, owing to vastly greater numbers of channels) are the same old films being trotted out (i.e. The Great Escape, for the millionth time) and appallingly bad 'Christmas Editions' of sitcoms that are generally past their best.
Chock