NFL on Christmas: How a Once-Rare Holiday Game Became a New Tradition
For decades, Thanksgiving was the NFL’s undisputed holiday. Turkey, family, and football-it was a package deal. But in recent years, another date has carved out a permanent place on the league’s calendar: Christmas Day.
The 2025 season marks the sixth straight year with at least one NFL game played on December 25. That’s the longest such streak in league history, and judging by the league’s continued scheduling, it’s a trend that isn’t going anywhere.
This Christmas, fans are getting a tripleheader featuring six teams and a slate built on classic divisional rivalries. The festivities kick off in Washington, where the Commanders host the Cowboys in a matchup steeped in NFC East history.
From there, the action shifts to Minnesota, where the Vikings welcome the Lions-two teams that know each other all too well. And the nightcap takes us to Arrowhead, where the Chiefs host the Broncos in a showdown between longtime AFC West foes.
It’s a full day of football, and it’s become something fans now expect. But it wasn’t always this way. Christmas games used to be the exception, not the rule.
The First Christmas Clash: 1971
The NFL had already staked its claim on Thanksgiving by the early '70s, with the Lions and Cowboys hosting annually. But Christmas? That was new territory.
In 1971, the league decided to try something different. With a 14-game regular season, the playoffs often started before New Year’s, and that year, Christmas happened to fall on a Saturday. So the NFL scheduled two Divisional Round playoff games for December 25.
The first game that day featured the Dallas Cowboys visiting the Minnesota Vikings at Metropolitan Stadium. Kickoff temps hovered around 22 degrees, and the first half was a defensive grind. But Dallas broke through late and came away with a 20-12 win-marking the franchise’s first step on the road to its first Super Bowl title.
The nightcap? That turned into one of the most legendary games in league history.
In Kansas City, the Chiefs and Dolphins battled through not one, but two overtime periods. After 82 minutes and 40 seconds of game time-the longest in NFL history-Miami emerged with a 27-24 win.
It was an instant classic, but also the last NFL game played on Christmas for nearly two decades.
A Sporadic Tradition Finds Its Footing
After that dramatic 1971 doubleheader, the NFL stayed away from Christmas for years. It wasn’t until 1989 that the league returned to the holiday, with the Vikings beating the Bengals 29-21.
From there, Christmas games popped up occasionally-1993, 1994, 1995, and a few more in the late ‘90s and early 2000s. But they were rare, and often dependent on how the calendar aligned. The NFL was cautious about scheduling games on a day traditionally reserved for family gatherings.
But as the league’s popularity surged and primetime viewership became king, Christmas slowly became another marquee opportunity. By the mid-2000s, the NFL began to lean into the holiday, especially when Christmas fell on a weekend.
Here’s a look at the full history of NFL games played on December 25:
1971 (Divisional Playoffs)
- Dallas Cowboys 20, Minnesota Vikings 12
- Miami Dolphins 27, Kansas City Chiefs 24 (2OT)
1989
- Minnesota Vikings 29, Cincinnati Bengals 21
1993
- Houston Oilers 10, San Francisco 49ers 7
1994
- Miami Dolphins 27, Detroit Lions 20
1995
- Dallas Cowboys 37, Arizona Cardinals 13
1999
- Denver Broncos 17, Detroit Lions 7
2000
- Tennessee Titans 31, Dallas Cowboys 0
2004
- Kansas City Chiefs 31, Oakland Raiders 30
- Denver Broncos 37, Tennessee Titans 16
2005
- Chicago Bears 24, Green Bay Packers 17
- Baltimore Ravens 30, Minnesota Vikings 23
2006
- Philadelphia Eagles 23, Dallas Cowboys 7
- New York Jets 13, Miami Dolphins 10
2009
- San Diego Chargers 42, Tennessee Titans 17
2010
- Arizona Cardinals 27, Dallas Cowboys 26
2011
- Green Bay Packers 35, Chicago Bears 21
2016
- Pittsburgh Steelers 31, Baltimore Ravens 27
- Kansas City Chiefs 33, Denver Broncos 10
2017
- Pittsburgh Steelers 34, Houston Texans 6
- Philadelphia Eagles 19, Oakland Raiders 10
2020
- New Orleans Saints 52, Minnesota Vikings 33
2021
- Green Bay Packers 24, Cleveland Browns 22
- Indianapolis Colts 22, Arizona Cardinals 16
2022
- Green Bay Packers 26, Miami Dolphins 20
- Los Angeles Rams 51, Denver Broncos 14
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers 19, Arizona Cardinals 16 (OT)
2023
- Las Vegas Raiders 20, Kansas City Chiefs 14
- Philadelphia Eagles 33, New York Giants 25
- Baltimore Ravens 33, San Francisco 49ers 19
2024
- Kansas City Chiefs 29, Pittsburgh Steelers 10
- Baltimore Ravens 31, Houston Texans 2
The NFL’s New Holiday Tradition
What started as a one-off playoff experiment in 1971 has grown into a full-blown holiday tradition. The league has embraced Christmas in a way that mirrors its Thanksgiving approach-building matchups around rivalries, playoff implications, and primetime appeal.
And fans have bought in. With families gathered and the holiday spirit in the air, Christmas football has become appointment viewing. Whether it’s a snowy showdown in Green Bay or a high-scoring shootout in Miami, the NFL has found another day to own the spotlight.
This year’s slate-Commanders vs. Cowboys, Vikings vs.
Lions, and Chiefs vs. Broncos-offers a mix of history, rivalry, and playoff stakes.
And with six straight years of Christmas games now in the books, it’s safe to say this isn’t a fluke. It’s the league’s newest tradition.