What is Boxing Day? Date, traditions, origins and what to know

Way back during the Victorian era in Britain, servants were allowed time off to visit their families on December 26, since they had to work for their employers’ Christmas Day celebrations. It became such a standard practice that in 1871, a new holiday was born. It coincides with St. Stephen’s Day, a Christian holiday with similar themes of charity. When Boxing Day falls on a Saturday or Sunday, it’s observed on the following Monday. In modern times, Boxing Day is a time to spend with family and cash in on post-Christmas deals.

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  • He was so moved by this sight that he gathered food and wine and delivered it to his door, inspiring a tradition.
  • Promoted pair Bradford and Doncaster are at home to Wycombe and Exeter, while Port Vale mark their return to the division away to Rotherham.
  • The Los Angeles Times reported Chávez Jr. struggled throughout the match, something the 39-year-old readily admitted to while speaking to reporters following the bout.
  • Boxing Day is an an official bank holiday in Britain, Canada, New Zealand and most of Australia.
  • Another tradition says that it originates from the practice of the aristocracy giving their employees bonuses and presents on the day after Christmas.

Alexandra Ilyashov is a Brooklyn-based freelance writer and editor, covering fascinating trends and people in the fashion, food, lifestyle, and wellness industries for over a decade. The native New Yorker and alum of Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism has written for New York Magazine, Glamour, Eater, WSJ. Magazine, InStyle, Fashionista, Saveur, and more, and was previously Refinery29’s senior fashion news editor and The Daily Front Row’s features editor. Her work ranges from expert-vetted shopping guides to reported features about topics like eczema’s impact on mental health or retail’s size inclusivity issues, to buzzy chef profiles and dining guides.

Traditionally, sporting events include horse races, foxhunting, and rugby, according to Britannica. Foxhunting was later modified or banned altogether, with football matches taking its place. Other popular sporting events include ice hockey, cricket and boxing. Since Boxing Day is a public holiday in the countries where it is celebrated, most people have the day off from work and school.

Others say Boxing Day started when employers would give their employees boxes of gifts the day after Christmas because servants were required to work on Christmas day. Both the Boxing Day Test cricket match held at the Melbourne Cricket Ground and The Sydney oleksandr usyk vs daniel dubois to Hobart Yacht Race begin on Boxing Day. Boxing Day also carries with it many different sports traditions. Depending on the country, sporting events such as cricket, rugby, soccer, and others are held and are popular among its spectators.

The traditional Christmas carol “Good King Wenceslas” tells the story of one of the possible origins of Boxing Day. If you’re unfamiliar with this song, listen below and read along with the lyrics. The events of this carol take place on December 26th, which also happens to be the Feast of St. Stephen. In the song, Wenceslas, a 10th century Duke of Bohemia, sees a poor man and he decides to help this man.

What does Boxing Day celebrate?

That’s because the competition is starting on 16 August – any earlier would have reduced the gap from the end of the Club World Cup to just four weeks. Manchester City tried, and failed, to get their first match of the season moved, as it was. At that point, it committed to a 38-game season comprising of 33 weekend dates and five in midweek. Some of the countries where Boxing Day is celebrated include England, Wales, Northern Ireland, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong and South Africa. From gift guides to local events, we’re here to help you celebrate in style. Sign up for the First & 4Most morning newsletter — delivered to your inbox daily.

What is Boxing Day? All about the celebration’s origin and traditions

The origin of the name has varied, with some believing it started when churches would leave alms boxes to collect donations for those less fortunate. The Dec. 26 holiday is celebrated each year by the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth countries including Canada, New Zealand and Australia. My family in England have always said Boxing Day was when the upper-class would box up their left-over food from Christmas Day and give it to the poor.

Which countries celebrate Boxing Day?

The origins of the holiday are a bit muddled, though the generally accepted theory is rooted in Victorian England. “It’s just, it’s a great thing to be able to bring people together, not just on the days that everyone celebrates.” Not necessarily, because St. Stephen’s Day is a religious holiday, but the two are linked and are recognized on the same day. Christians observe St. Stephen’s Day in celebration of the first Christian martyr who was known for helping the poor and for his charitable work. St. Stephen’s Day is more widely recognized in Ireland and other European countries.

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The U.S. is one of the few English-speaking countries that does not recognize Boxing Day. Cardiff and Plymouth start out with home games the next day after dropping into League One, against Peterborough and Barnsley respectively. Promoted pair Bradford and Doncaster are at home to Wycombe and Exeter, while Port Vale mark their return to the division away to Rotherham. For many Americans, Boxing Day is that holiday that always shows up on the calendar between Christmas Day and New Year’s Eve.

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Traditionally, the day was for people to box up gifts for the less fortunate and for employers to give their staff Christmas gifts. But since then, the holiday has taken on new meanings and traditions unrelated to any “box” of the sort. Here, you’ll find the history of Boxing Day and how it’s celebrated today. When December 26 comes on a Saturday or Sunday, the following Monday is designated as the official public holiday.

Boxing Day Date, History, Traditions, and More

The holiday always falls on the day after Christmas Day unless the 26th happens to be a Saturday or Sunday. On my facebook feed, boxing day is when all the cats play and sleep in boxes. Here in the United States, we may not mark the actual holiday, but for many of us, it’s still a day to relax with family, knowing that the Holidays are drawing to a close.

The first thing to know about Boxing Day is that it originally came from the United Kingdom, and the countries that celebrate it are those that were once part of its global empire. It’s a bank holiday in the United Kingdom, so banks, government offices and most businesses are closed. If you’re somewhere else, like the United States, sorry, but you may find yourself back at work. Whatever the case, Boxing Day is still celebrated today with the spirit of giving to the less fortunate.

A third theory, according to TimeOut, is that British naval ships would seal a box of money at the start of a long voyage, and at the end, priests would open the boxes and donate the money to those in need. Employers still give service workers bonuses around the holidays, just as leftovers still are a part of celebrations today. Relegated Leicester and Sheffield Wednesday are the last two teams in action on the opening weekend, with a 4.30pm kick-off on Sunday, August 10. Leicester’s first away game is at Preston and the second weekend of action sees Ipswich and Southampton, both back in the second tier after relegation, meet at Portman Road.

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