Leicester manager Nigel Pearson is no exception. Following Saturday's 4-1 win against local rivals Derby, which Pearson described as the best game of the season, City moved up to third in the Championship table. And while they are keen to close the five point gap to leaders Cardiff City, they must also be wary of the chasing pack behind them.
The Foxes have a three point cushion in the playoffs, but with the likes of in form Watford, Millwall and Leeds climbing up the table unnoticed, Leicester must continue their steady if not spectacular recent form.
The Christmas schedule sees Leicester host Barnsley on 8th December, before facing three of the current top seven. They travel to Millwall on 15th December, where by that time the Lions could be on a 14 match unbeaten run if they avoid defeat against Ipswich this weekend.
A week later, Leicester return home to face Cardiff and then on Boxing Day travel to Hull. The final game of the year is also on the road, making the trip to Lancashire to face Burnley, while the first game of 2013 is at home to Huddersfield on New Years Day.
But how crucial was the festive period for teams who went on to get promotion in the past few seasons? And what is Leicester's recent record over Christmas?
2011/12
Reading went on to win the nPower Championship last season, but weren't amongst the front runners at Christmas last year. The Royals were 10th at this stage, but four wins out of four to end 2011 against West Ham, Leeds, Brighton and Ipswich saw them finish the year in the playoffs. Those four results appeared to galvanise their season as they went on to only lose four games for the rest of the season.
As for Leicester, last Christmas wasn't the season of good will. A home draw against Peterborough was followed by defeat at Doncaster before two home draws against Ipswich and Portsmouth. 2012 started well though, with a 2-1 win at Crystal Palace.
2010/11
Queens Park Rangers went on to be champions in the 2010/11 season, after spending all but two matchdays in top spot. However, Christmas was probably the R's worst spell of the season, losing three of their five games. Their first defeat of the season came on the 10th December at home to Watford and in true London bus fashion, lost at Leeds the following week. They bounced back with resounding wins against Swansea and Coventry respectively before starting 2011 with a defeat at Norwich who later joined them in returning to the Premier League.
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| Ipswich beat Leicester 3-0 in December 2010 at a snow covered Portman Road. |
2009/10
If QPR comfortably won the Championship in 2010/11, then Newcastle did it without breaking sweat a season earlier. The Toon amassed a total of 102 points, finishing 23 points ahead of third placed Nottingham Forest and only losing four games all season. They did stutter somewhat over the festive period, although they did remain unbeaten. A 2-2 draw at Barnsley preceeded a 2-0 win against local rivals Middlesbrough. Boxing Day saw another 2-2 at Hillsborough and then a goalless draw against Derby rounded off 2009.
Leicester's Christmas schedule was hit by bad weather, with games at Cardiff and Doncaster both postponed. However, the two games that were played reeped six points against both Sheffield clubs. A 3-0 win against Wednesday, largely thanks to two Andy King goals saw the Foxes consolidate their playoff position. Another Sky game on Boxing Day then saw the red side of the steel city beaten as goals from Michael Morrison and Matty Fryatt were enough to see off Sheffield United 2-1.
So recent history tells us that games over Christmas aren't make or break for a team's season. But if Leicester have any aspirations of promotion this season, then a healthy points return between now and the start of 2013 could prove to be the springboard for a promotion push come the end of the season.
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