Boxing Day is the day which follows Christmas Day and originated in the United Kingdom during Queen Victoria’s reign, much like most other Christmas celebrations that continue to this day.
There are main speculations as to the origins of why Victorians started to call this day of celebration Boxing Day, but there are really only two which gather the most support.
It is said to have come about because of the Upper class needing their servants on Christmas. The next day though they would repay their servants by boxing up the leftovers and giving them to their servants, along with giving them the day off.
The day could also come from a religious tradition, with the day also being the day to celebrate Saint Stephen. with the day being traditionally marked by giving to the poor. In the UK, churches would have donation boxes that would be open on Christmas day, and then handed out what was donated the next day. The donations could range from food, to blankets and clothes, or just plain money.
Many people today don’t donate to churches today though, and most bosses usually give a bonus now instead of a box of food. Still though there are people who donate their Christmas leftovers to charities and even a few will set up their own boxes at their houses and give much like the churches used to do.
Today the celebration of Boxing Day has extended to most of the states in the Commonwealth of Nations. The day is also celebrated in other countries with no connection to the former British Empire, but under different names. Such as Poland, which simply calls the day, Second Christmas Day. One little outlier though is Massachusetts, which officially recognised Boxing Day as a day of celebration in 1996 but not as an official holiday.
Perhaps we here in the states, other than Massachusetts, ought to start celebrating this day of giving like our distant cousins in Dear Old Blighty. For whilst the day has somewhat lost its traditional context, I think it is rather grand to have a day dedicated to giving to those who are less advantaged. So this 26th of December make your own box to give to someone who you know is struggling, or even a complete stranger. If you don’t trust leaving an open box, then at least think about donating all those Christmas leftovers that you know will most likely sit in the fridge till you clean out on New Years.
