The name comes from a time when the rich used to box up gifts to give to the poor. Boxing Day was traditionally a day off for servants – a day when they received a special Christmas box from their masters. The servants would also go home on Boxing Day to give Christmas boxes to their families.
Why the 26th of December is called a Boxing Day?
During Advent, Anglican parishes displayed a box into which churchgoers put their monetary donations. On the day after Christmas, the boxes were broken open and their contents distributed among the poor, thus giving rise to the term Boxing Day.
What is Boxing Day and how is it celebrated?
Boxing Day, in Great Britain and some Commonwealth countries, particularly Australia, Canada, and New Zealand, holiday (December 26) on which servants, tradespeople, and the poor traditionally were presented with gifts. By the 21st century it had become a day associated with shopping and sporting events.
What are the traditions of Boxing Day?
Today, the holiday is associated with sports, with major football, rugby, and cricket matches and horseraces taking place on December 26. Hunting, especially fox hunting, is also beloved on Boxing Day.
What happened December 26th?
On this day in 2004, a large earthquake shook the Indian Ocean floor west of the island of Sumatra, triggering a devastating tsunami that swamped coastal areas from Thailand to Africa and killed more than 200,000 people.
What is 26 December called?
Boxing Day
Boxing Day is the day after Christmas Day and falls on 26 December.
What is December 26th called in America?
Boxing Day
A visitor from the Commonwealth Realms may be surprised to find that Boxing Day in the United States is not, as it is back home, an occasion to box up goods to donate to the unfortunate. Instead, December 26th is the day when Americans celebrate the box, mostly of the cardboard variety.
What day is celebrated on the 26th of December?
Boxing Day
Boxing Day is held every December 26th in many countries associated with the British empire. It started as a day to give gifts to the household staff of Britain’s upper classes but has morphed into a sort of shopping holiday of its own. In fact, its one of the most popular days to return Christmas gifts to the stores.
Is Dec 26 a national holiday?
December 26 is a day off for most workers where it’s a state holiday. In places where it’s not a public holiday, most families use up a vacation day, as most schools are closed. US presidents have given federal government workers either a full or half day off in some years.