It's the most wonderful time of the year... supposedly. You might forgive Sunderland fans for not being entirely in the festive spirit, however, following the appointment of new head coach Michael Beale. The former Rangers manager has been drafted in to replace the departed Tony Mowbray, with many of a red and white persuasion expressing their disappointment at the announcement.
Still, Christmas is a time for giving, and Beale will be given plenty of opportunity to prove himself to his new fanbase over the next couple of weeks. Sunderland begin their festive rush with a clash against Coventry City on Saturday, before facing a tricky encounter with Hull City on Boxing Day. From there, it's a final fixture of 2023 against Rotherham United on the 29th, and then a New Year's Day showdown with Preston North End in front of the Sky Sports cameras.
At the time of writing, the Black Cats lie seventh in the Championship table, three points outside of the play-off places, and Beale will be hoping that with a fast start to life on Wearside, he can catapult his new squad firmly into the running for a top six finish.
Before all of that, however, let's take a moment to soak in the goodwill of the season by looking back on Christmases of yesteryear with a gallery of images comprised of Sunderland fans going all out to get themselves in the festive spirit. And hey, with his propensity for dressing in red and white, who knows, maybe Santa is a Mackem too...
9. The Ghosts of Christmas Past
Sunderland boast a pretty good record in their Boxing Day fixtures, and haven't lost a game on the day after Christmas since 2017, when they were sunk 3-0 by Sheffield United. | Getty Images
10. The Most Wonderful Time of the Year
In the seasons since then, Sunderland have beaten Bradford City, drawn with Bolton, skipped their post-Christmas fixture entirely, seen off Doncaster Rovers on December 27th, and, as mentioned above, left it late to suckerpunch Blackburn Rovers. | Getty Images
11. Humbug-side
Sunderland's recent record against Hull City has been far from stellar. The Black Cats have drawn their last four meetings with the Tigers, and haven't beaten them in five meetings, with their last victory coming in 2018. | Getty Images
12. Christmas Cracker
The last meeting between the two sides, back in April, ended in a breathless 4-4 draw at the Stadium of Light, with the visitors scoring a 98th minute penalty to deny the Black Cats all three points. | Getty Images