The Giant Mystery Solved “Boxing Day”
By Ann LeFlore
@poehere (15123)
French Polynesia
December 28, 2015 8:04pm CST
I kept hearing about Boxing Day and asked several people from the UK why they called it this. LOL nobody could give me a good answer. So Google was wonderful and supplied me with some answers. Here are a few of the answers from Google search to help others like me understand Boxing Day.
1) Britain’s name for a Christmas gift or present is a called a “Christmas Box”.
2) Years ago with servants and master Boxing Day was a day off for these servants. Their masters gave them Christmas Boxes. Afterwards, the servants were allowed to go home on Boxing Day to share these Christmas Boxes with their families.
3) Years ago they would place a box in the different Churches on Christmas day to collect money for the poor. On Boxing Day the box was opened and the money was distributed.
4) Before when the giant sailing ships set sail a sealed box of money was placed on board. If the ship arrived back and the voyage was a success they gave the box to a priest. The box was held until Christmas day and opened. Afterwards, the priest distributed the money in the box to the poor.
Today, however, Boxing Day in the UK and Ireland is a national holiday and all the banks are closed. The true origins of the original Boxing Day have changed in tradition and in history. Normally this day was dedicated to the families so they had an extra day to spend with their family and friends. Furthermore, this was to eat up the leftover food from Christmas.
In past years sports events were added to Boxing Day like fox hunting, horse racing and football. This day has nothing to do with boxing as a sport. However, in recent years many stores have added shopping to Boxing Day. This is one way for stores to off load their over stock. Before stores wouldn’t start their yearly clearance sales until after the first of the New Year.
So there we have it folks a small history of Boxing Day in the UK and Ireland. Now we can all understand how this holiday came about.
Image source Wikipedia creative commons
13 people like this
14 responses
@Asylum (47893)
• Manchester, England
29 Dec 15
The majority of the population here seems to relate it to sport, simply because the tradition ceased a very long time ago. You certainly never asked me this question because I have known the origin for a long time now. I have answered this query to several Mylot members recently and if you look at the image I used in my discussion that day I created an animated graphic using boxes.
Your explanation is almost correct but for one small factor. Christmas box is a relatively recent term and often refers to a single gift, whereas the boxes given to the servants were literally boxes with an assortment of items, such as food and small gifts.
4 people like this
@poehere (15123)
• French Polynesia
29 Dec 15
@Asylum When I found it they said that there was 4 different answers and each one of them could be considered suited for the origin of boxing day. They did not say which one was correct and said all of them could be correct. So I decided to add them all here just in case there were other reason for this and how it all started out. But all in all the years have changed in the tradition but the day has remained the same.
2 people like this
@Asylum (47893)
• Manchester, England
29 Dec 15
@poehere The one relating to the large manor home is definitely correct. It sounds as though you have used something like Wikipedia because they do allow people to submit data as well as read it. This would explain the conflicting views provided.
1 person likes this
@kevin1877uk (36987)
•
29 Dec 15
Thank you that, like Bary below say most people these days relate boxing day to sport and sales, plus a day off work.
1 person likes this
@kevin1877uk (36987)
•
29 Dec 15
@poehere Its great that you looked it up and for the answer to your question.
1 person likes this
@poehere (15123)
• French Polynesia
29 Dec 15
@kevin1877uk Thanks. I decided to share it here with others because I know a lot of people don't know what you guys are talking about. I did see a few others ask this question and nobody would say what it was.
2 people like this
@celticeagle (189915)
• Boise, Idaho
29 Dec 15
It is an interesting holiday isn't it? I think it is nice that the masters got something for their servants.
1 person likes this
@celticeagle (189915)
• Boise, Idaho
29 Dec 15
@poehere ....That is an interesting aspect of such events.
1 person likes this
@poehere (15123)
• French Polynesia
29 Dec 15
@celticeagle I found it quite interesting seeing the different explanations for this holiday. But it seems that two people are here from the UK and say that it is because of the servants and the real reason behind the holiday.
1 person likes this
@AbbyGreenhill (45490)
• United States
29 Dec 15
Someone explained this to me in a comment on one of my discussions. I didn't have a clue until then what Boxing Day was!
1 person likes this
@AbbyGreenhill (45490)
• United States
29 Dec 15
@poehere Me too, another mystery solved.
1 person likes this
@poehere (15123)
• French Polynesia
29 Dec 15
Me either. I did ask the question on one of the discussion they were asking about how people would spend boxing day. So anyhow now I know what it is and how it got its name. I was happy to find out.
@bookbar (1609)
• Sudbury, England
29 Dec 15
Well I am a Brit, and have rarely taken any interest in the why's and wherefore's of Boxing Day, it's always been just another National holiday to me, although the 'Sports moguls' appear to have taken it over, but really British Christmas holiday now goes on for so long, actually for many, until after New Year's Day, which really makes the whole idea of the two days of Christmas quite meaningless...initially Bank holidays were just that...days when Banks' didn't open...Now? who knows the reasoning!
1 person likes this
@poehere (15123)
• French Polynesia
29 Dec 15
Yes it did say over the years it has changed. I guess the true meaning had a impact on people and it was a kind jester to let them go home the day after Christmas to be with their family. Now as all holidays things change and lose meaning now and then.
1 person likes this
@poehere (15123)
• French Polynesia
29 Dec 15
This is fantastic but I was never on this site so I had no idea at all what it was.
@poehere (15123)
• French Polynesia
29 Dec 15
It was bugging me what this one was and it seemed nobody gave me an answer on it. I had a few people saying that more like likely Bernie would know and he would answer. But he did not so I decided to answer for all of us what is Boxing Day. So now we all know. It was actually the first time I ever heard this term used and had no idea why they called it this.
1 person likes this
@yugocean (9963)
• India
29 Dec 15
It has nothing to do with boxing, not even bare-knuckle boxing. Did boxing name of sport also appeared from the box ? Atleast Boxer Dog can be after new puppy came out of box.
Anyway You already got the answer, then there is no use I should also give any answer
@poehere (15123)
• French Polynesia
29 Dec 15
No nothing at all was said about boxing as a sport. It did say the reason it got it's name, some history about the Irish celebration, and how a few sports over the years were added to the day. Then in the end it explained about shopping or sales after Christmas being added to this too.
@jstory07 (148735)
• Roseburg, Oregon
29 Dec 15
Now i know what Boxing day is. I asked and did not get an answer either. i such have looked it up but did no.
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t@poehere (15123)
• French Polynesia
29 Dec 15
It was on my mind since a few days. Today it hit me again and so I decided I wanted to know what it was. I decided to look it up and tell people like us what it was. I asked for an explanation and didn't get one. So now we all know what it is.
@poehere (15123)
• French Polynesia
30 Dec 15
You are so welcome. I too found it very interesting. I had no idea what this holiday was all about. There are some holidays here that nobody knows what they are for. The church has declared them a holiday and so they are a holiday. but if yuo asked us why we have no idea.
1 person likes this
@Freelanzer (10782)
• Canada
29 Dec 15
We have boxing day in Canada and other countries in the commonwealth. It is a national holiday as well but businesses can choose to open.
@poehere (15123)
• French Polynesia
29 Dec 15
I had no idea what it was and never knew of anyone celebrating this. I guess I have never lived in a country before that celebrated this holiday. Learn something new everyday here.
@boiboing (13147)
• Northampton, England
29 Dec 15
I am amazed that you couldn't find a British person to explain it for you. Some even posted about it here on MyLot.
@poehere (15123)
• French Polynesia
29 Dec 15
Thanks got that one corrected. Guess I missed this one. Never said I was perfect in English and it is good when a person corrects my mistakes.
I did enjoy finding this out and I hoped others would be interested to know what it actually was all about like me.
1 person likes this
