Happy Holidays: Boxing Day

Boxing Day is the day after Christmas, December 26th, known for the sales in stores looking to get rid of all of their stock before the new year. However, the holiday wasn’t always about making room in stores for the latest and greatest.

The origins of Boxing Day can be traced back to England in the early 1800's. It was originally the first week after Christmas Day, during which various kinds of servants (postmen, errand-boys, etc.) would be given a “Christmas box”. These boxes included money or other various presents to show appreciation for the people who were required to work on Christmas.

Nowadays, especially in the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, Boxing Day is a shopping holiday, much like Black Friday in the United States. In Canada especially, there are many Boxing Day sales, with shops opening as early as 5am and staying open late into the night. Patrons often camp out in front of big box stores in order to be the first one to get the best deals. Boxing Day also sees the most returns of any day of the year, with lots of individuals wishing to trade in their gifts.

In some countries, mainly those which were historically Catholic or Lutheran, Boxing Day is known as St. Stephen’s Day. This day is set to celebrate St. Stephen, the first martyr of Christianity who spoke out against Jewish authorities and was stoned to death in the New Testament.

Special thanks to lily hughes. and cleopatra. for editing!