Boxing Day is an annual celebration observed on the day after Christmas. It has nothing to do with the pugilistic competition other than its name. So it is not a day for the real boxing punch. There are lots of mentions about the origin of this Day. It is most often mentioned that this Day is celebrated to provide a day off for the servants who worked on Christmas Day. The masters of those servants will present gift boxes called the Christmas Box to them. The servants will take the Christmas Boxes on Boxing Day to give them to their families. In recent times, this celebration Day marks the start of post-Christmas sales.
“I love spending time with my family and friends during the holidays, and my favorite holiday tradition would be the pozole that my mom makes almost every Christmas. It’s the best!” – Becky G
History of Boxing Day
The exact year Boxing Day was first celebrated is not known precisely. It is a holiday usually celebrated on the day after Christmas Day. Numerous stories are associated with the origin of the term “Boxing Day.” The historians say that the holiday came into existence as the servants were asked to work on Christmas Day and took the following day off. As the servants planned to leave to visit their families, their employers would present them with gift boxes called Christmas boxes. The employers will give each of the servants a box to take home. The box contains gifts, bonuses, and leftover food for Christmas Day.
Boxing Day falls on the first weekday after Christmas to show gratitude for the good service provided by the employees throughout the year. The term Christmas box dates back to the 17th century. It is customary for employers to give the gift of money or food in a small box on this day to their employees or servants. It is still in practice for the people who deliver letters and newspapers. During the feudal times, all those who worked under the lord of the manor would gather together. The lord of the manor would distribute boxes of practical goods as payments for those workers, like agricultural tools, food, and cloth.
One another story related to this Day includes that the celebration was observed 800 years ago, during the Middle Ages. On this Day, the alms box or the collection boxes often kept in churches for the poor were traditionally opened. The contents present inside the box will then be distributed to poor people. Boxing Day is a bank holiday observed since 1871. If this Day falls on a Saturday, the following Monday will be a bank holiday. If Christmas Day falls on a Saturday, later the next Monday and Tuesday are the bank holidays.
Stores are kept open at the start of their post-Christmas sales on this celebration Day. This Day is also an important day for sporting events. Fox hunting was one of the popular sports among the upper class. Images of the hunters on horseback outfitted in red coats surrounded by the hunting dogs are often recognized as symbolic of Boxing Day. Although fox hunting is banned at present, horse racing and football are now my favorite sports. It is celebrated in the Commonwealth nations and the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, Hong Kong, New Zealand, and South Africa.
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How to Celebrate Boxing Day
Celebrating Boxing Day is quite simple. The Day is the perfect time to spend enough time with your family members once after the Festivus. You can present Christmas Boxes to your employees to make them and their families feel happy. The gifts may be food, clothes, gifts, or anything useful to them. It is the best time to go shopping as most stores would have started the post-Christmas sale, and things can be bought at the lowest price. Get involved in soccer and horse racing to make this celebration day more enjoyable. You can capture the happy faces of those who open the box. Share those boxing day celebration photos and your thoughts on social media using the hashtag #BoxingDay.
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