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Boxing Day, December 26, was the day after Christmas. Servants were given their presents (in boxes) and possibly the day off--certainly lighter duties after all the hubbub of Christmas Day.

Further information:

December 26 is called Boxing Day in England and other countries in the Commonwealth, but it is unknown exactly when it first began.

Boxing Day seems to have originated in the mid nineteenth century in England. Some historians believe the name 'Boxing Day' came about because the boxes placed in churches where parishioners deposited alms (coins) for the poor and needy were opened, and the contents were distributed on December 26, which is also the Feast of St Stephen. (St Stephen was the first Christian martyr.)

Others believe that the Boxing Day tradition originated as a holiday for members of the upper class to give boxes containing food, clothing or money to tradespeople and servants, in much the same way that many employers offer their employees bonuses today. These gifts were usually given in boxes; hence the name 'Boxing Day". Oxford English Dictionary says this comes from the Christmas box; the verb box meaning: To give a Christmas-box, and then leading to the term boxing-day.

An extension of the above theory is that when Christmas holidays were much shorter than they are today certain services often only had Christmas Day as a holiday and returned to work the day after. These included services such as the mail, newspaper or milk delivery. Householders would give them a Christmas gift or, as it was commonly called, a Christmas box on this day to thank them for their service throughout the year.

The common theme, however, is that Boxing Day has absolutely nothing to do with the sport of boxing.

Likewise, it does not gain its name from the overpowering need to rid the house of an excess of wrappings and mountains of now useless cardboard boxes the day after St Nick arrived to turn a perfectly charming and orderly home into a maelstrom of discarded tissue paper.

The name also has nothing to do with returning unwanted gifts to the stores they came from, despite its common association with hauling about boxes on the day after Christmas.

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13y ago
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9y ago

Boxing Day is celebrated on December 26 in several countries including Britain and Canada. This was traditionally the day that tradesmen collected their Christmas gifts and the day servants had off as they had to work on Christmas Day. Employers presented them with gift boxes on this day.

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8y ago

Boxing Day is a public holiday or bank holiday in many countries like UK, Australia, Canada, New Zealand and some other Commonwealth Nations. This is the day after Christmas, December 26 of every year, in most of the countries. This name comes from a tradition for employers to give Christmas gifts to their staffs in a box on the day after Christmas.

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14y ago

On this day the Priests used to open the church's charity boxes and distribute them among the poor, so this day is called Boxing Day.

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10y ago

December 26th became known as boxing day because, traditionally, people would give a Christmas box of gifts to their servants and employees. Today, Boxing Day is recognised as a bank holiday.

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12y ago

People don't celebrate it its just the day after Christmas

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13y ago

cause its mostly the week of giving things to other people not relative or that are poor or sometimes giving rewards for other persons contributions

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6y ago

When the master of the house gave servants a
box with a gift in - on the day after Christmas Day.

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Related questions

What day do you celebrate Boxing Day on?

you celebrate boxing day on December 26


Does Norway celebrate boxing day?

Norway does celebrate boxing day on December 26.


What is madagascar's Boxing Day?

it is a day to celebrate boxing


On which date do Canadians celebrate Boxing Day?

The countries which celebrate Boxing day do so on the same date, the 26th of December.


Does Spain celebrate Boxing Day?

No.


What is the day English celebrate after Christmas?

Boxing day


How does Canada celebrate Boxing Day?

They celebrate boxing day by hitting each other so hard to the point where they start bleeding from their eyeballs.


What do the people do to celebrate boxing day?

Boxing day is when people left boxes of gifts for the homeless.


Do the Spanish celebrate Boxing Day?

yes


What day do Canadians celebrate Boxing Day?

December 26.


In the United kingdom on dec 26 they celebrate?

boxing day


How did vikings celebrate Boxing Day?

They boxed. Hence the name.