Boxing Day Has a Long and Colorful Past

Christmas may get the spotlight but there's another important holiday in many countries. Boxing Day, December 26, is celebrated all over the globe.

No, it isn't a day for pugilistic feats. There is no boxing on Boxing Day, although sports are a main event in some nations. In Hong Kong, Boxing Day is celebrated with horse races, in the United Kingdom grudge football matches, where rivals face each other, are played.

Much like Black Friday in the United States, Boxing Day is a major shopping day in Canada and the UK. Many shoppers in Canada begin lining up outside retailers in the early morning hours hoping for a bargain. Many stores open earlier to accommodate the increased traffic. Boxing Day 2006 recorded the most transactions in Canadian commercial history. Some stores can make up to $1 million on December 26.

But why is Boxing Day celebrated? How did it get its name? There are no clear-cut answers to these questions. The history of Boxing Day is convoluted and its origins can be traced to several sources.

The traditional explanation is that Boxing Day was the day Christmas gifts, or boxes, would be to the workmen and tradespeople by the people who employed them during the year. This tradition still holds true in Britain with paperboys and postmen, although the gifts are generally given before Christmas, not on Boxing Day.

Another explanation is the tradition of churches opening their collection boxes on Christmas Day. The collected money was distributed to the poor and needy on December 26th.

From the days of manors and lords, another explanation is that servants that had to work during December 25th Christmas parties, away from their families, would be given December 26th off to compensate. The leftover food from their master's Christmas celebration was boxed up, which they took home to share with their families. Hence, Boxing Day.

It was also common practice for servants to carry Christmas boxes and gifts for their employers the day after Christmas. The employer would place coins in the box as an annual reward. Because they carried boxes for coins the day became known as Boxing Day.

Going even further back, to medieval times, serfs would gather their families at their lord's manor. The master would hand out the yearly stipend of tool, grain, and cloth to the serfs that worked his land on December 26th. These goods were distributed in boxes, another explanation for Boxing Day.

December 26 has a long history as a holiday, but the origins are not completely known. Boxing Day is still celebrated in Commonwealth countries such as the United Kingdom, Canada, Ireland, Germany, New Zealand, and Australia.