Does anyone know what Boxing Day Is?

Well, as far as I know, it's the day after Christmas when the servants and tenants got their "Christmas Boxes", which were gifts of anything from money to bolts of cloth to new clothing to left-over food from the master's Christmas feast. It was also a bit of a day of rest for the overworked servants after the Christmas frenzy, when they could party a little.
 
Boxing DayIn Britain, it was a custom for tradespeople to collect "Christmas boxes" of money or presents on the first weekday after Christmas as thanks for good service throughout the year.[7] This is mentioned in Samuel Pepys' diary entry for 19 December 1663.[8]

This custom is linked to an older British 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, bonuses and sometimes leftover food.

I just had to look it up earlier for another purpose so the wiki article was still up.
 

I used to hear it and think that a big boxing match was typically held on that day
Click to expand...
There is a small town in BC called Williams Lake and this is a true story. One day back in the early 1940s, a few guys were having drinks in the local watering hole and they got to talking about Boxing day and I don't know for sure but perhaps they didn't know what Boxing Day was, so they kicked it around for a while (and I suspect a lot of drinks were downed). I suspect one of the men might have been the Mayor any way they decided that there should be a Wrestling Day the day after New Years day. And so Wrestling day is a town holiday even the banks close for Wrestling day. It is against the local law for anyone to be open for business there om Wrestling day.
http://globalnews.ca/news/1752511/wrestling-day-is-a-civic-holiday-for-williams-lake-residents/
 
Boxing Day aka St. Stephens Day is a day of significance in the Pagan world though some pagan circles choose a day between 6th and 12th January. It is the one day of the year that the wren, the king of birds, can be killed without gaining a curse for so doing.

Google "hunt the wren" if you want the full story.
 
Marie5656 said:
Aeron..is St. Stephen's day same as Feast of Stephen, mentioned in the song Good King "whats his name?"
Click to expand...
Yes, but different European countries allocate a different date to it. For most it is 26th Dec though. Keep in mind that not all European countries have Christmas on the 25th December for example the Russian Orthodox church celebrate Christmas on the 7th January.
 
This is why I am liking this forum. You can ask a simple question and learn some new things.
 

You must log in or register to reply here.

Back
Top