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What Boxing Day Means: Origin, Traditions, Who Celebrates

Boxing Day is a beloved holiday, often seen as a welcome break from the careful planning and travel surrounding the holiday season. If you’re wondering what Boxing Day means, we’ll explain where the funky-named holiday comes from.

What Boxing Day Means Origin, Traditions, Who Celebrates

What Boxing Day Means

Boxing Day falls on December 26, the day after Christmas.

Who celebrates Boxing Day?

It’s celebrated America, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand as well.

Its origins are British, which is why such a specific handful of countries celebrate it (namely, countries whose identities are more closely tied with past British rule) while others don’t.

What Boxing Day Means Origin, Traditions, Who Celebrates

Boxing Day Origin

Boxing Day’s exact origins are unknown, but what is known is the name has nothing to do with cleaning up empty gift boxes after Christmas Day.

There are two prevailing theories, both related to charity or gift-giving to the lower classes on the day after Christmas.

Boxing day why is it called

The first theory is that Boxing Day originated from the custom of wealthy landowners and aristocrats distributing “Christmas boxes” to their household servants and employees the day after Christmas.

These would contain small gifts, money, and leftovers from the wealthy family’s Christmas dinner.

This would have essentially been their year-end bonus, a gesture of gratitude for a year of hard work.

The second theory is that the holiday is named for the alms boxes that were once placed in churches during the Christmas season.

These were put out for churchgoers to offer donations.

Customarily, the contents of the boxes would be distributed to the poor on the day after Christmas.

This also landed on the day of the feast of St. Stephen, the first Christian martyr and a saint associated with charitable acts.

What Boxing Day Means Origin, Traditions, Who Celebrates

Boxing Day Traditions and Activities

Originally, Canadian Boxing Day was a day dedicated to charitable contributions benefiting the poor.

Today, what Boxing Day means is less associated with charity and more associated with a day of leisure and relaxation after the hustle and bustle of the holiday season.

Visit with Friends and Family

This is especially true for loved ones whom you don’t see on Christmas Day.

While Christmas is often a day for family or just your innermost circle of closest friends and family, Boxing Day is a slightly more open and social affair.

It’s a great time to visit friends and family who are home for the holidays and who you don’t normally see.

Laidback, Lowkey Fun

Compared to why Christmas is celebrated, Boxing Day is downright leisurely.

Family and friends gather for meals, spend time outside (if the weather allows it), or just relax at home and enjoy the day off, munching on leftovers.

Because it’s such an open-ended holiday, the ways people choose to celebrate varies based on their family and preferences.

Hockey (Both Watching and Playing)

For families that are into sports, Boxing Day is no exception.

There’s always a hockey game to watch on Boxing Day.

For families who are more into playing than spectating, it’s not uncommon to take to the backyard or the park for a quick game.

Boxing Day Shopping & Sales

While it’s less of a shopping holiday than it used to be, Boxing Day sales are still very much a thing, and some families spend the day after Christmas hitting the malls and looking for deals.

Don’t get it confused with American Black Friday, though.

Boxing Day isn’t nearly as high-stakes but still very busy.

Boxing Day Foods

The traditional menu of Boxing Day is fairly simple: more of whatever you ate on Christmas.

Boxing Day is a day of leftovers.

Whether you enjoyed a baked ham, roasted turkey with all the trimmings, or something completely different on Christmas, chances are, on Boxing Day you’ll be nibbling leftovers all day.

The reason for this is twofold.

First, it goes hand in hand with Boxing Day’s laidback, casual vibe.

There’s nothing more relaxing than not having to prepare any meals.

But it’s also a welcome opportunity to continue enjoying more of your favorite Christmas culinary indulgences.

A popular leftover meal is a Turkey Sandwich.

Significant Celebrations Around the World

St. Stephen’s Day in Ireland

December 26 happens to be St. Stephen’s Day, one of Ireland’s nine national holidays.

It’s also known as the Day of the Wren (pronounced “Day of the Ran”).

It’s a completely different holiday than Boxing Day, even though they fall on the same day.

The holiday exists to honor St. Stephen, a Christian martyr who suffered death by stoning all the way back in 36 AD.

Traditionally, groups would dress in old-fashioned clothing and straw hats, then celebrate by going door to door in their neighborhood, playing music and dancing.

Depending on the region of Ireland, they were called Mummers or Wren-boys.

The custom has mostly died out, but it’s still an official holiday, and a few small pockets of the country still carry on the tradition.

Australia’s Boxing Day Cricket Test Match

Boxing Day is a big day for spectator sports in many countries, and Australia is no exception.

During the Test Match, Australia faces off against another country for a game of cricket.

Shopping and Sports in the UK

In the United Kingdom, it’s is a big day for shopping and hitting post-Christmas sales – it’s more similar to American Black Friday.

Horse racing and football (the British kind) matches are also common highlights of the day.

One of the best things about this day is how open-ended and casual it is.

You can pretty much choose to celebrate any way you like.

The most important part is relaxing and enjoying the peace and quiet after Christmas.

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