Sport on Christmas Day

[Sporting]

Today there are football matches in countries such as Bolivia, Bangladesh, Egypt, Israel, Ethopia, Morocco and Turkey. Bolivia is kind of an interesting outlier here for a variety of reasons.

Any other sports taking place?

[jefe]

The NBA has made a big thing of Christmas Day games for years.

[ursus arctos]

Also college football bowl games (the Camelia Bowl in Montgomery this year)

The World Junior (Ice) Hockey tournament, an absolute staple of Canadian holiday programming

And the Four Hills Ski Jumping tournament, which serves a similar televisual purpose in German-speaking Europe

[longeared]

There's horse racing in France - a jumps meeting at Cagnes-sur-Mer and trotting at Vincennes.

[Sporting]

What exactly is trotting?

[nmrfox]

In the NFL Minnesota Vikings play the New Orleans Saints later today.

[Levin]

Trotting is chariot racing isn't it?

Is there much sport on Christmas Eve in Europe east of the Rhine?

[ursus arctos]

Trotting (called harness racing in North America)

[Rogin the Armchair fan]

Trotting's the one where the horses have to keep one foot on the ground. So it's like chariot racing, except done at walking pace, and they all dress like Prince.

[ursus arctos]

East of the Rhine would include KHL ice hockey in Russia on both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day

[ad hoc]

Of course today is not Christmas in the Russian Orthodox calendar

[Capybara]

I hadn't seen this thread. I put this elsewhere.

[Tony C]

I know I've mentioned this previously over the years on OTF but I once knew a Blackburn Rovers fan who travelled to see them play at West Ham on Christmas Day in 1963. He was naturally delighted with an.8-2 win. 48 hours later they played the traditional Christmas return fixture at Blackburn only for West Ham to win 3-1.

[Satchmo Distel]

In cricket a few Tests were played on Christmas Day between 1951 and 1979, the last being India v Pakistan in Kanpur, which is the only one that started on that day. Boxing Day Tests in Australia start when it's still Christmas Day in the northern hemisphere.

[Flynnie]

In cricket a few Tests were played on Christmas Day between 1951 and 1979, the last being India v Pakistan in Kanpur, which is the only one that started on that day. Boxing Day Tests in Australia start when it's still Christmas Day in the northern hemisphere.

New Zealand too.

[Ray de Galles]

Derek Quinnell, Phil Bennett, Allan Martin: Wales and Lions stars on Christmas Day games