Art, obsession, and identity
If you live in a country where Boxing Day is celebrated, you're probably looking forward to it. Sales, sports, and leftovers sound like a plan, especially when you don't have to go to work or attend school! But there's more to Boxing Day than just being a bank holiday and the commercial side of it. In fact, some countries celebrate the date in very different ways.
Curious to learn more about the origins and traditions surrounding Boxing Day? Then click on!
Boxing Day is a public holiday (or bank holiday) in the countries that celebrate it. When it falls on the weekend, it’s usually moved on to the following working day.
Boxing Day is not celebrated everywhere. But some countries, including Germany, Poland, and the Netherlands, celebrate the 26 as a second Christmas day.
Boxing Day is celebrated the day after Christmas, on December 26.
Other countries, including Denmark, Sweden, Greece, Ireland, and Italy, celebrate the Christian holiday Saint Stephen's Day, which also falls on the same date.
Though it's traditionally celebrated on the 26, some say that it used to be on the 27, so that it would not fall on a Sunday, which was a day of worship.
One of the stories dates back to the 19th century. Boxing Day was a day that servants to wealthy people got time off.
Wealthy English people would give their servants boxes with food and presents to take home to their families.
Another theory can be traced back to the Middle Ages. It is believed that the original boxes were the alms boxes placed in churches to collect money for the poor.
The origins of Boxing Day are not quite certain. There are mainly two stories about it, but the real roots of the holiday are yet to be proven.
According to the Oxford English Dictionary, Boxing Day was "the first weekday after Christmas day, observed as a holiday on which postmen, errand boys, and servants of various kinds expect[ed] to receive a Christmas box."
Boxing Day is essentially a commercial holiday, a time for people to go shopping and get good deals. But in some countries there are also other traditions. Let’s take a look at how Boxing Day is celebrated around the world.
The date has been a bank holiday in the UK since 1871. And it is one, if not the, most important shopping days of the year. Retailers usually offer exclusive deals and are open until late.
The 26 would be the day the boxes were opened and the money was distributed among the poor.
The Aussies are also huge sports fans, and the day is celebrated with the Boxing Day Test, which is held in Melbourne.
For many countries the date is not called Boxing Day. Instead they celebrate Saint Stephen's Day, which is a Christian saint's day.
Pro boxing fights are particularly popular on this day in countries such as Ghana, Uganda, Malawi, Zambia, and Tanzania.
As one can imagine, besides the commercial aspect, Boxing Day for Canadians is also about ice hockey.
But Boxing Day is not just about shopping—there is also sports! And, of course, soccer matches are the highlight.
Slaves would be given a day of rest and they used the time off to celebrate African traditions. Today it’s a huge street parade that has spread to other Caribbean islands and even some parts of the US.
The date is also known as Wren Day, named after the bird that supposedly once betrayed Irish soldiers. People carry them to avoid bad luck.
In Sweden, the date is marked by the Saint Stephen's Day bandy (aka Anndandagsbandy), where a number of bandy matches are played.
Sources: (BBC) (Snopes) (Woman's Day)
Boxing Day is also a horse race day. The King George VI Chase is a National Hunt steeplechase that takes place on December 26.
Boxing Day also marks the start of the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race.
But so are rugby matches, which is another sport loved in the country.
Some regions (Catalonia, the Balearic Islands, Valencian Country) celebrate Saint Stephen's Day with a big meal, and the day is usually spent with family.
In the Bahamas, Boxing Day marks the start of a festival called Junkanoo. The celebration can be traced back to the 18th century.
The holiday originated in the UK, but it's also celebrated in former British colonies, including Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the Bahamas, South Africa, and Nigeria.
The Irish have a unique tradition of dressing up in costumes (usually made of straw) and carrying a fake bird during the celebrations.
What we know about Boxing Day
December 26 is Boxing Day!
LIFESTYLE Holidays
If you live in a country where Boxing Day is celebrated, you're probably looking forward to it. Sales, sports, and leftovers sound like a plan, especially when you don't have to go to work or attend school! But there's more to Boxing Day than just being a bank holiday and the commercial side of it. In fact, some countries celebrate the date in very different ways.
Curious to learn more about the origins and traditions surrounding Boxing Day? Then click on!