Better just answer this. Or at least, I'll try.{g}
No, it has nothing to do with the sport of Boxing. Or returning boxes of unwanted Christmas Presents. Until very recently few shops were even open on Boxing Day as it is a National Holiday and we have few enough of those throughout the year. Some stores start their post-Christmas sales now on that day, but most wait until the 27th December.
It's just that Christmas has always been more than a one day deal here in the UK. The Christmas period used to extend from Christmas Eve until Epiphany on January 6th. 26th December is also St Stephen's Day, the feast of the first Christian martyr and that was an important one in the church year. In the Anglican church (at least) it still is.
The other commonly accepted story is that it was the day that most churches opened their alms boxes and distributed monies to the poor. Though these days helping the poor is not (was it ever?) restricted to one day a year.
In the days of servants (pre Great War) they were apparently required to work on Christmas Day but had Boxing Day off. Mmm not sure about that one. Sounds plausible. But I've seen some very odd things said about Boxing Day on the internet, most of which I know not to be true.
Let's just say that its true origins are shrouded in mystery, but it is part of the great Christmas feast and we like our long break between Christmas and New Year here in Britain. Many workplaces have compulsory leave between December 26th and 1st January which is also a national holiday.
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4 comments:
Thanks for the explanation. I vaguely remembered it being something about the poor, but didn't really know.
Dorothy,
Is boxing day in England a day where you give all manner of service type folks (postman, hair dresser, garbage collectors) gifts? Our paper explained that that is what we were supposed to do on boxing day....and I wondered....LOL Ever the skeptic.
DeEtta,
I also came across that explanation on the internet (US sites) so maybe that used to be one of *your* traditions?
I can't see how it could have happened here because eveything is (or certainly was until some shops started to open) closed on Boxing Day. It's a national (Bank) holiday here.
No rubbish is collected, no hair salons are open, no mail is delivered etc. So, I don't understand how you could possibly give anyone anything on Boxing Day. All those sorts of people would be home with their families that day.{g}
Which is not to say that *something* like this didn't happen centuries ago *somewhere* in Britain.
Dorothy
Thanks Dorothy. I haven't heard much about this holiday anywhere until this year. I wonder if it's the American version from years and years ago.....but it certainly isn't something I'd even heard of before. LOL
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