The Generous Tradition of Boxing Day

If the words "Boxing Day" make you think of men wearing padded red gloves and fighting in a ring, then you've probably never celebrated this post-Christmas traditional day of giving on Dec. 26. Boxing Day is a holiday that originated in the United Kingdom in the 1800s and is observed by several of the Commonwealth nations that were once part of the British empire, such as Canada, Australia and New Zealand. The Oxford English Dictionary has marked its earliest print attribution to the year 1833, and in 1837, Charles Dickens referenced it in "The Pickwick Papers." Some European countries, like Hungary, Germany, Poland and the Netherlands celebrate Boxing Day as a second Christmas Day, but it's also often called Offering Day and was once a day that was designated for donating food and other gifts to the poor and people in need. The exact origin of the term "boxing" has been theoretically traced back to the tradition of placing an alms box in Christian churches for the purpose of collecting donations for the poor throughout the year. The boxes were then customarily distributed to those in need on this annual Boxing Day. It was also a British custom for tradesmen to be given a "Christmas box," as they were called, that was full of money or presents on the first weekday after Christmas as thanks for their year of good service. This tradition goes even further back to a time when servants were given the day after Christmas off from work to spend time with their families, and each servant would be given a box of gifts and leftover food to take home with them, likely as a bonus. Because the religious holiday of Saint Stephen's Day also falls on Dec. 26, Boxing Day is often not observed until the first weekday following Christmas as it is a federal and bank holiday in several countries where it is observed, such as Canada. It is a public bank holiday in the UK as well, so when Dec. 26 is a Saturday, Boxing Day is moved to the next Monday, but if it falls on a Sunday, then Boxing Day is observed on the following Tuesday. In these current times when more charitable giving is done in the days leading up to Christmas, Boxing Day is more often used as a day for shopping store sales, watching football games (the kind that we call soccer) and relaxing with family. Other sporting events that one might traditionally have participated in on Boxing Day include horse races, foxhunting, cricket and rugby. In some parts of the world, retailers have massive sales that are similar to America's Black Friday shopping discounts. Eating Christmas leftovers is another popular Boxing Day tradition, especially turkey; turkey curries, sandwiches and pies are common indulgences. For many, Boxing Day is a day to leave the house for an outdoor activity of their choosing, like a long walk or a day spent in their favorite leisurely pursuits. There is no right or wrong way to celebrate Boxing Day, experts say. It is a day to play an unlimited number of hours with your children, to be unconstrained by responsibilities and to feel absolutely no pressure to accomplish anything.