The 2018 Winter Olympics [1] will be over sooner than you think, and you better be sure to set your calendar for the closing ceremony. (Why are the Olympics so short, by the way? We vote to make them at least a few months long!)

The final Olympic event is an opportunity for the athletes to be celebrated one last time before they return to their countries, some with gold medals and most others with the memory of having represented their nation at the important international event. Each host country does things a little differently that night, but you can expect the party to be a tribute to South Korea and its culture. At the closing ceremony, this year's host country will also hand over the baton — eh, torch — to the 2020 Summer Olympics host (Tokyo) [2] in what is sure to be an exciting moment.

How to Watch

NBC and NBC affiliates will be playing the Olympic Games from beginning to end, with the closing ceremony scheduled for Feb. 25 at the Pyeongchang Olympic Stadium in South Korea.

Make a date with your favorite people, order in, cozy up, and show off your new expertise in luging [3], skeleton racing, and figure skating [4]. Before the American athletes [5] head home, watch them dance and celebrate while covered in medals and brand new name recognition.

What to Expect

During the opening ceremony, we watch athletes from nations around the world march into the stadium — this is also when, in the past, you have developed deep crushes on hot athletes [6] — and prepare for competition. The closing ceremony is basically the same, but in reverse. The nations will file out of the stadium and the torch will, quite literally, be passed to Tokyo.

While opening and closing festivities are generally kept secret until the big moment, expect to be dazzled by South Korea's display of culture and history [7]. Former closing ceremonies have given the world a great show, touting the best of the host country, and South Korea will likely do the same.

For some athletes, this 2018 Winter Olympics may be their one and only shot at gold. The closing ceremony is the world's chance to say goodbye to the household names it's cheered for and cried with for two weeks. It's a can't-miss event for anyone who loves the Winter Games and will be impatiently waiting for the next event in the Summer of 2020.

To learn more about the 2018 Winter Olympics and the athletes, check out Team USA [8].