What’s with the boxing day name, anyway?
Queen Victoria, who reigned in the 1800s, is responsible for giving the holiday we now call Boxing Day its name.
The term “gift box” dates back to a time when the wealthy often enclosed presents for distribution to the less fortunate.
It was customary for owners to give their servants a day off on Boxing Day and present them with a gift box filled with holiday treats.
Boxing Day was traditionally a day off for servants, who would then travel home to distribute holiday gifts to their loved ones.
St. Stephen’s Day, a religious holiday, is observed on this date in both Ireland and the Catalonia area of Spain.
Boxing Day is treated as a second Christmas Day in several European nations, including Hungary, Germany, Poland, and the Netherlands.
Accumulating Funds
The Christian church also had a hand in establishing Boxing Day. At Christmastime, they would distribute the money that had been collected throughout the year from the congregation.
A lot of them put the money in a box and opened it on Christmas morning. The following day, on Boxing Day, the impoverished received their share of the funds.
There has been a decline in the demand for such containers in recent years. However, in the weeks leading up to Christmas, some individuals lay out what they term “Christmas boxes” with additional money for service providers like paper boys and girls.
If you’re looking for the date of Boxing Day, it’s December 26th, the day after Christmas.
In addition, the UK will be closed for business.
For years in which December 26 falls on a Saturday, the Boxing Day bank holiday is observed on the following Monday.
If the 26th of December falls on a Sunday, the following Tuesday will be the holiday.
Customs Celebrated on Christmas Day
Football
In contrast to previous decades, Christmas Day is not a traditional football day currently.
After feasting on Christmas Day, football fans across the UK would don their hats and gloves and head to one of the many stadiums to see a game in the days before television.
A shift in mentality away from doing sports on Christmas Day occurred during the 1950s.
In 1957, the last Christmas Day football game was played, making Boxing Day the new holiday tradition.
Sandwiches with turkey, yum!
Let’s face it: lots of Christmas Day feasts include eating leftovers for days. Turkey in a variety of forms, including curry, pie, and the venerable sandwich.