Today is Boxing Day. My husband reminds me of that every year on December 26th but, when pressed, really can’t tell me much about it beyond it being a holiday in England. So, this morning after having our usual non-informative discussion about it, I decided to look it up online.
According to Wikipedia: Boxing Day is a holiday traditionally celebrated the day following Christmas Day when servants and tradespeople would receive gifts, known as a “Christmas box”, from their bosses or employers, in the United Kingdom, Canada, Hong Kong, Australia, New Zealand, Kenya, South Africa, Guyana, Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica and other Commonwealth nations.
The custom is mentioned in Samuel Pepys’ diary entry for 19 December 1663 and is linked to an even older English tradition: since they would have to wait on their masters on Christmas Day, the servants of the wealthy were allowed the next day to visit their families. The employers would give each servant a box to take home containing gifts and bonuses, and sometimes leftover food.
But that’s just for starters. The article is long and specific and tells more than I ever wanted to know about the Boxing Day custom in countries all over the world; I was especially interested in learning that in the US, Boxing Day is celebrated as a public holiday in some, mainly southern, states: Kansas, Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia and Texas.
And here is the ‘best part’ (NOT!) about the holiday in our country: Although referred to informally as Boxing Day, officially it is called “Day After Christmas Day.” (How lame is that?) And, even ‘better’ (OMG! DOUBLE NOT!) nowadays… Boxing Day is primarily known as a shopping holiday, much like Black Friday (the day after Thanksgiving.)
Wouldn’t you know that in our contemporary culture we would find a way to commercialize and consumerize something that began in the spirit of generosity? Bah Humbug!
Although I knew Boxing Day is observed in Canada, I didn’t know it was anywhere here except to return your gifts and search for bargains. One of the reasons I love Thanksgiving is they haven’t figured out how to commercialize it except make the day after into a shopping circus.
We spent Boxing Day with my Canadian relatives. It is the biggest shopping day of the year. Interestingly enough, 2014 was the first year stores had Black Friday sales. I’ve contentedly managed to avoid ever shopping on these days!
I meant to say 2014 was the first year Canadian stores put on Black Friday sales.