NFL on Christmas Day

Games held by the National Football League (NFL) on Christmas Day, December 25, was historically an occasional part of the league's schedule, but has been an annual occurrence since 2020. The NFL had avoided annual Christmas Day games because the holiday could fall on a day in which the league does not normally schedule games, in contrast to Thanksgiving Day games since Thanksgiving is always on a Thursday. The NFL held two Divisional Playoff games on Christmas Day in 1971 when the regular season only spanned a 14-week period. This proved unpopular, and the league avoided Christmas Day games until 1989 to 2019, when the NFL typically scheduled games on Christmas Day if it fell on a Saturday, Sunday, or Monday. Beginning in 2020, the league has scheduled at least one Christmas game every season, even when the holiday falls on a day in which the NFL does not usually schedule games.

As of the end of the 2024 season, there have been 32 Christmas Day games in the NFL's history, all broadcast nationally. Two games were scheduled each Christmas Day from 2004 to 2006, 2016 to 2017, 2021, and 2024. Three games were scheduled from 2022 to 2023.

If Christmas Day falls on a Sunday, then the normal slate of Sunday afternoon games is instead played on Saturday, Christmas Eve, and one of the Christmas Day games will include the standard Sunday Night Football telecast. When Christmas Day falls on a Monday, the normal slate of Sunday afternoon games is still played on Christmas Eve, and Monday Night Football on Christmas night, but the Sunday Night Football telecast has been moved to either Monday afternoon or to Saturday, December 23.