Boxing has nothing to do with Boxing Day – it is a day of celebration for the servants. Australia, New Zealand, Britain, Canada are some of the popular countries that celebrate Boxing Day. Traditionally on December 26th, the servants take the day off and also receive special Christmas gift boxes from their masters.
Boxing Day originated in England in the middle of the nineteenth century under the rule of Queen Victoria. In the UK since 1871, 26th December has been a bank holiday. When 26th December falls on a Sunday, then 27th December will be a bank holiday. When 26th December falls on a Saturday, the public holiday is on the following Monday. If 26th December falls on a Sunday, the public holiday is the following Tuesday.
The most commonly accepted explanation for the Boxing Day relates to the phrase “Christmas box.” The term Boxing Day gets us back to the olden days of the British aristocracy, where they give their servants December 26th off and also will give them some sort of Christmas gifts, otherwise known as a Christmas box.
This box could include gifts, money or even food from the previous day’s Christmas dinner. These boxes will be given to servants or to the employees from their employers.
Boxing Day also means that boxes would be open in a church for the season up to Christmas day where churchgoers could put monetary donations meant for the poor. Then on December 26th, not so coincidentally a day the church already celebrated for the first Christian martyr, members of the clergy would then go around gifting the money in the box to the poor.
Since 1871, Boxing Day has been a bank holiday in the UK, but if it falls on a weekend like Saturday, it’s moved to the following Monday, and if it falls on a Sunday then we get an extra bank holiday the following Tuesday.
The real meaning of Boxing Day is about giving gifts. The employers and the owners give gifts and food items to their servants and employees. This is the real meaning of Boxing Day.
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