In different parts of the world, December 25 does not signal the end of the Christmas celebrations. The day after Christmas is Boxing Day.
Something of a chilled coda to Christmas, Boxing Day gives those who celebrate it an extra chance to unwind from some of the considerable (non-) exertions of Christmas.
The day has British origins, so it is not surprising that it is mainly celebrated in the United Kingdom and its former colonies. While its modern incarnation as a recognized holiday began in 1871 when it was proclaimed as such by Queen Victoria, its history goes much deeper.
The origins of Boxing Day are unclear, shrouded in folklore and the ever-needing mists of time. In any case, it seems likely that it was a day when members of the working class received gifts.
These initially seemed to stand in the way of donations in church boxes. There is some historical evidence for this, as it was mentioned as early as the 17th century by figures such as diarist Samuel Pepys and satirist/author Jonathan Swift – reluctantly in the latter case.
Later it may have referred to the practice of wealthy landowners to give their servants time off after Christmas and send them home with boxes of gifts or scraps of food.
It’s a lot less class conscious these days. In the places where it’s celebrated, Boxing Day is usually a paid public holiday, giving people of all stripes the opportunity to spend it however they see fit.
In many places – notably the UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Trinidad and Tobago – the day is a popular shopping day, with streets clogged with people heading to snag heavy discounts at Boxing Day sales . In recent years, this has been mitigated somewhat, particularly in Canada, by the Black Friday they resemble.
File Photo: Sulav Dhakal, right, bats the ball thrown by Ateet Maharjan, foreground, while wicket keeper Arun Adhikari, center, looks on during a cricket match on LSU Parade Ground organized by LSU’s Nepali Student Association to honor one of them Player, the late Binod Nepal, an LSU civil engineering student who died in a traffic accident just over a year ago.
In addition to shopping, it’s a popular time to watch sports. In the UK it’s one of the busiest days on the football calendar, while in Australia it’s closely linked to cricket. A Boxing Day Test match – Test matches which are the longest form of cricket at up to five days – is kicked off each year at the imposing Sydney Cricket Ground. The Aussie team tends to dominate, to the dismay of whoever they play against.
And what about boxing? Although they share a name, leading many to believe they are related, the origins of the day have nothing to do with the sport.
But that doesn’t mean it wasn’t boxed. Most famously, American boxer Jack Johnson fought and comprehensively beat Tommy Burns on Boxing Day 1908 in Sydney to become the first black world heavyweight boxing champion.
For those who are a bit more proactive or just tired of being lazy, there are plenty of excuses to get outside. Backyard cricket is popular in New Zealand, while in the UK people tend to enjoy long walks (when not watching football).
The Boxing Day Walk is a tradition honored by families across the UK, with the day being a perfect opportunity to enjoy the cold air and walk down some of that Figgy Pudding.
A more adventurous activity is the Boxing Day Dip, an annual charity event where contestants jump in costumes in the icy North Sea. It’s a surefire way to burn off any lethargy.
Boxing Day is not the only notable event on December 26th. Many European countries – including but not limited to Ireland, Germany and Italy – instead celebrate St Stephen’s Day, which commemorates the first Christian martyr. Like Boxing Day, it is also a public holiday.
Boxing Day’s mix of exercising, lounging, eating, walking and shopping probably won’t make it this side of the Atlantic anytime soon. For the most part, anyway: In 1996, then-Governor of Massachusetts William F. Weld officially declared December 26 in his state, although that didn’t result in it becoming a public holiday.
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