From Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer to Buddy the Elf, Christmas has had a lot of unlikely heroes over the years, but this may be the most shocking of all.

On the last “Real Time with Bill Maher” episode of 2014, the host dedicated some time to outline his three-point plan for saving Christmas. The comedian is pretty outspoken in his disapproval of religion, as outlined in his 2008 movie “Religulous,” so he admitted himself that he’s a surprising choice to come to Christmas’ aid.

The comedian explained that it’s not about the religious aspect of the holiday, though. Maher said, “It’s about family, memories and the looks on the carolers’ faces when I set the dogs on them.”

Watch the full clip above, which has some NSFW language.

“Real Time with Bill Maher” returns Friday, January 9, 2015.