One of my earliest memories of Christmas and the holiday season did not feature Christmas trees, stockings or Santa Claus. In fact, my family did not have Christmas trees in the house as we did not celebrate Christmas in the westernised tradition. What we did have was family, good food and some free time in front of the television!
As a sports fan from an early age, I could not get enough of some live sporting action – my love for cricket actually started due to the December cricket series that was frequently scheduled in the holiday season.
The day after Christmas is known around the world as Boxing Day and, to me, that was one of my holidays over the December period. Boxing Day originated in the United Kingdom as a holiday to give gifts to the poor after Christmas Day but has since been celebrated for other reasons or as an extra holiday to relax and enjoy some leftover Christmas meals. To me, Boxing Day will always have a sporting connection.
The Boxing Day Test Match usually featured the Proteas cricket team taking on a touring cricket team in a test match that formed part of a bigger series between these two nations. I was riveted to the screen, watching and cheering every run, wicket and victory.
As I got older, I discovered a passion for football and the English Premier League. Much to my delight, they also played up to eight matches per day on Boxing Day.
Not only could I watch cricket in the day, but I could switch to football in the afternoon and evening. If I missed anything, I would just watch the highlights the next day.
Originally, Boxing Day matches were played against local rival teams to ensure that fans did not have to travel far to support their team. Now, it has traditionally become a massive day in football circles in the United Kingdom. Is there one day on the sporting calendar as choc-a-bloc as Boxing Day?
In 2021, Boxing Day promises the following sporting events for sports lovers to snack on:
•Nine Premier League football matches
•England vs Australia (The Ashes Test Series)
•South Africa vs India (Test Cricket)
I bid you a fantastic holiday season with sporting highlights aplenty!
