Boxing Day, celebrated the day after Christmas on December 26th, is a centuries-old public holiday and gift-giving day that originated in Britain. Most offices are closed on this day in Commonwealth countries.
Boxing Day is spent with family and friends with lots of food and fun. Because it is traditionally the cook’s day off, the menu, usually includes left-over turkey from Christmas.
According to the Encyclopedia Britannica, the custom arose because servants, who had to serve their masters on Christmas Day, were allowed to visit their own families the next day and their employers would give them boxes to take home containing gifts, bonuses and, sometimes, leftover food. One of the earliest records of these box gifts dates from 1663.
During the Victorian era (1837–1901), Boxing Day evolved to become an occasion for church parishioners to deposit donations into an alms box for the poor.
It was a custom for tradesmen to collect their “Christmas boxes,” gifts of money or goods in return for reliable service all year (tips).
Boxing Day in Ireland is also known as St. Stephen’s Day. St. Stephen was stoned to death shortly after Christ’s crucifixion and is considered the first Christian martyr.
In the Christmas song Good King Wenceslas, the first line describes the king’s activities on St. Stephen’s Day: “Good King Wenceslas looked out on the feast of Stephen.” Written by John Mason Neale and first published in 1853, the lyrics celebrate the spirit of Boxing Day—generosity— it describes King Wenceslas watching a poor man “gath’ring winter fuel.” The good king then brings the peasant food and logs for his fire.
Channel the Boxing Day spirit and remember any service people you have relied on this year, as well as our local 501(c)3 organizations.