I think we all know that. I wanted to address the issue of sports on Christmas in a non-antagonistic way, accepting that believers in Christianity celebrate the birth of the religion's central figure on December 25 regardless of the reason that date wound up as Christmas.
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What's with the NFL playing on Christmas Eve/Day?
- Thread starter ssetta
- Start date
Do people really roam neighborhoods singing "Frosty" and "Winter Wonderland" and (God help us) "All I Want for Christmas Is You"? When I think of carolers and caroling, I hear in my mind tunes such as "Silent Night" and "Away in a Manger," and, of course, "We Wish You a Merry Christmas." Those other songs are more in line with what I'd expect at a public elementary or middle school's "Holiday Concert," during which religious songs are generally avoided.
Christmas was originally a Christian holiday and yes it was set on December 25th as an alternative to pagan holidays and the other secular portions of celebrating Christmas were added as time went on. But it did start as a date for the celebration of Jesus's birth and there are a lot of us who do want to observe that part of it. After all whose name is in what we call the day? And we can celebrate the secular portions as well.
Merry CHRISTmas!!! 😀
Merry CHRISTmas!!! 😀
And sports don’t interfere with any of it. Don’t want to partake? Great. But the rest of the world (or country in this case) doesn’t completely stop the full day. And frankly, plenty of people of that faith can also be fully engaged in the sports (or going to the movies, or whatever). There’s no inherent conflict.
I'm not sure why you feel every American or even every American who claims to be Christian has to celebrate Christmas or any other religious celebration. I spent 3 Christmas's in Viet Nam where I felt nothing but hypocrisy from both my hometown citizens and the "official" Catholic participants (Viet Nam had a majority Buddest population but was run by a government of Catholics back then).
In short, there are many people in the USA (and in countries the globe) who do not celebrate Christmas - whether they are Christians or not. Or they just want to experience the event for their kids.
So, what does it matter that the NBA/NFL or any other business wants to do business on what others see as a sacrilege? They are not part of that first group of true or faux believers. But it must tell you something of a group of people whose religion is not strong enough as the draw of "our national game". One is based upon facts and the other as faith.
At the annual Christmas tree lighting in New York's Washington Square Park, the caroling includes every song you listed except "All I Want For Christmas Is You."
There are several different groups of people and how they do or don't observe Christmas. There are those that strictly observe it as the celebration of Jesus's birth, there are are others who celebrate the secular portions only, and there are those that observe both. There are also those that don't observe it at all, whether it's because of being a different religion, atheist, or even some Christian groups that don't believe in celebrating Christmas at all.
For many who have no religion, New Year's Day is their main holiday of the winter season.
Or Christmas. The idea those not of any faith in particular…what, boycott or otherwise avoid it? No doubt there are some who fit any description, but people mark the day with no religious elements just fine. Heck, they may be closer to what the celebrations at this time of year once were.
They're lucky New Year's Day was moved to January 1. It was March 1 way back, to coincide with spring. That would make for a long wait for the Rose Parade, to say nothing of the game.
Unless they're anarchists who despise the commercial aspects of the holiday.
And that is a meaninglessly insignificant population.
Getting back on the topic of live Christmas Eve and Christmas Day sports telecasts:
Until this year (2022), the only live nationally televised prime time sports event on Christmas Eve in the United States was college football's Aloha Bowl in Honolulu, telecast by ESPN.
The game is seen in prime time on the East Coast, usually starting at 7, 7:30, or 8 P.M. EST (depending on the year). With the time difference between Hawaii and the East Coast, the game (depending on the year) is in the afternoon and starts at 2, 3:30, or 3 P.M. local time. The game ends well before local evening Christmas Eve services in America's 50th state begin.
However, I've done research and once upon a time, the National Hockey League played prime time games in Montreal and Toronto on Christmas Eve or Christmas night if either fell on a Saturday night, to accommodate CBC television's weekly "Hockey Night In Canada" Saturday night prime time series of NHL games. But it's been a number of years since the NHL has played games on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day.
The National Basketball Association hasn't, as far as I know, ever played games on Christmas Eve, but has played games on Christmas Day for most of the league's history. And there has been at least one nationally televised NBA game on Christmas Day every year since 1969 (as fast as I've been able to determine; perhaps there had been nationally televised Christmas Day NBA games prior to 1969). This year, there are five NBA Christmas Day games, scheduled back-to-back, and simulcast on both ABC and ESPN. This will mean approximately 13 straight hours of live NBA games, from 12 Noon to 1 A.M. EST.
Until this year (2022), the only live nationally televised prime time sports event on Christmas Eve in the United States was college football's Aloha Bowl in Honolulu, telecast by ESPN.
The game is seen in prime time on the East Coast, usually starting at 7, 7:30, or 8 P.M. EST (depending on the year). With the time difference between Hawaii and the East Coast, the game (depending on the year) is in the afternoon and starts at 2, 3:30, or 3 P.M. local time. The game ends well before local evening Christmas Eve services in America's 50th state begin.
However, I've done research and once upon a time, the National Hockey League played prime time games in Montreal and Toronto on Christmas Eve or Christmas night if either fell on a Saturday night, to accommodate CBC television's weekly "Hockey Night In Canada" Saturday night prime time series of NHL games. But it's been a number of years since the NHL has played games on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day.
The National Basketball Association hasn't, as far as I know, ever played games on Christmas Eve, but has played games on Christmas Day for most of the league's history. And there has been at least one nationally televised NBA game on Christmas Day every year since 1969 (as fast as I've been able to determine; perhaps there had been nationally televised Christmas Day NBA games prior to 1969). This year, there are five NBA Christmas Day games, scheduled back-to-back, and simulcast on both ABC and ESPN. This will mean approximately 13 straight hours of live NBA games, from 12 Noon to 1 A.M. EST.
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The last time Christmas fell on a Sunday was 2016. How were the NFL games handled at that time? Were most played on either Christmas Eve or day, then?
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Anarchists? Only those who oppose all government despise the commercial aspects of Christmas? Wow. That makes them enemies of the state, doesn't it? Time to get the boxcars ready for transport to the camps of anyone who's ever had a problem with using symbols of Christmas in advertising, recording ditties about the holiday for profit, etc.! Bad hombres!
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Same thing. Most of the games were played on Saturday, a few more on Sunday. Did RadioDiscussions erupt in outrage then, too?
That's correct. The NFL shifts the games to Saturday with the exception of a few. It's curious that the NFL has a "Flex" scheduling policy for Sunday Night games. They try to get a more compelling game in prime time. The 3 Xmas day games this year turned out to duds. GREEN BAY vs MIAMI
DENVER vs LA RAMS and TAMPA vs ÀRIZONA
Those looked like decent choices when the schedule was made, but only Miami has a winning record at 8-6.
People can drink their Egg Nog and sleep through these games...
I actually knew a number of them. "Festivus for the rest of us?" They don't even celebrate that. In fact, I don't know anyone who does.
Considering it's a "Seinfeld" creation and not an actual holiday, that's not surprising.
The meanings of things change over time. While the origin of the date may belong in part to pagan traditions, hundreds of years of custom make that fact irrelevant.
In a more specific situation, look at the changes over time in the meanings of words. The first that comes to mind is "gay". Many of the mid-20th century movies and even some Christmas songs speak of the "gay" holidays. That word has been transformed over time and changes in society to mean something else. And it happened over less than 50 years.
Those pagan celebrations happened many times 50 years ago.
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