Boxing Day takes place the day after Christmas – but where does it get its name from?
In the UK, it’s been a bank holiday since 1871 and is still one today.
In fact, it’s so important that if it falls on a Saturday, it’s moved to the following Monday – similarly, because it falls on a Sunday this year, we get an extra bank holiday on the following Tuesday.
Despite the name, Boxing Day has nothing to do with fighting in a ring or even boxes themselves, at least nowadays.
To understand where the holiday got its name from, we must first understand where the holiday originated.
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While nowadays the day is more synonymous with shopping and post-Christmas discounts, it was very different a couple of hundred years ago.
Back in the 1800s, when Queen Victoria was still on the throne, Boxing Day was dedicated to the poorer people in British society.
It was traditionally a day off for servants and a day when they would receive special presents from their masters.
The presents traditionally given to the poor and servants was called a ‘Christmas box’ hence the name Boxing Day.
(Image: Manchester Evening News)
The tradition of Boxing Day was further spread across the country by the Church at the time who would collect money from worshippers which would be handed out to the poor during Christmas.
Much of that money was stored in a money box which was opened on Christmas – adding to the name Boxing Day.
While nowadays the boxes aren’t as popular, people still use the days to leave out extra money for people such as postmen and other domestic workers.
Boxing Day is also celebrated In countries that used to make up the former British empire – such as Hong Kong, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Nigeria, Trinidad and Tobago, Singapore, South Africa and Bermuda.
In these countries, the holiday is often treated as a shopping event, similar to Black Friday and is often marked as a day when sales begin.
Other nations carry Boxing Day with more religious significance, such as Romania Hungary, Germany, Poland, the Netherlands, Czech Republic and Scandinavia.
These countries mark it as a second Christmas Day.
Meanwhile, Ireland and the Catalan region of Spain celebrate the occasion as St Stephen’s Day.