What is Boxing Day? Origins, History, and Modern Celebrations
Around the world, Christmas is the most popular holiday of the year, but in many places, the day after Christmas is not only a day for Santa Claus to rest his reindeers but also a holiday unto itself.
Why is it Called Boxing Day?
Many of the countries which stem from the British Commonwealth celebrate the day after Christmas as Boxing Day, and while the day has nothing to do with a boxing ring, its parentage remains varied and frequently disputed.
What isn’t disputed is the term’s British origin, which traces back to 1833, when British author Charles Dickens referred to the day in “The Pickwick Papers.” Of the possible origins surrounding Boxing Day, the first is that they were boxes given by the medieval lords to their serfs, containing the supplies they would need for the coming year, and since the serfs were already gathered together to celebrate Christmas—most having worked for their lords on Christmas Day itself—the following day encouraged the wealthy to display their generosity.
The second possible origin is the boxes wealthy people placed in Anglican churches to support the poor, while a third version claims that they were boxes of money placed aboard ships about to set out on long voyages, which then motivated priests to pray for the sailors before their journey. When a ship returned safely to port, the money was then distributed to the sailors on Boxing Day.
The last and most likely version circles back to gifts by Medieval lords, which in later years saw British aristocrats giving money and gifts to their servants, which were distributed on the day after Christmas. Jonathan Swift, author of Gulliver’s Travels wrote about Boxing Day: “I shall be undone here with Christmas boxes. The rogues of the coffee-house have raised their tax, everyone giving a crown, and I gave mine for shame, besides a great many half-crowns to great men’s porters.”
What is Boxing Day in Modern England?
Today, the holiday is mostly known for giving to charity, as well as a day for family and sporting events such as rugby and English football, fox hunting and hockey. But most of all, Boxing Day is now known as a Black Friday-style shopping and gift return bonanza, making Boxing Day the busiest retail day of the year.