What is Boxing Day and Why is it Celebrated?
Last Updated on 1st February 2024 by Sophie Nadeau
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If you happen to live in the UK, then you’ll know that the day after Christmas comes Boxing Day! But what is Boxing Day? And why is it celebrated in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand and other commonwealth countries?
Contents
A Brief History of Boxing Day
Falling on the 26th of December, this secular holiday is on the same day as the religious day of St Stephen’s and Boxing day itself originated around eight hundred years ago. However, it should be noted that, rather confusingly, there are actually two Saint Stephens in history. The 26th December is for the St Stephen about whom the Good King Wenceslas carol is written.
Why do they call it Boxing Day?
When it comes to Boxing Day, no one actually knows the exact origins of the holiday or its definitive etymology, however, it is speculated that Boxing Day perhaps got its name when Queen Victoria was on the throne.
In Victorian times it would be the day that servants would get time off as they were no longer needed to work on the Christmas festivities, and they would be thanked by their employers with a ‘Christmas box’ of treats.
Churches also played a part in the creation of Boxing Day. The church would collect money from worshippers throughout the year and that money would be kept in a box, to be opened on the day after Christmas and given to those less fortunate.
Who celebrates Boxing Day?
In more recent times, Boxing Day is a Bank Holiday, meaning that many people have a day off work and some people that do work are paid time and a half, or double. As a result, the day is often an extension of Christmas celebrations and provides a great opportunity to hang out with friends, family and enjoy the leftovers from Christmas lunch!
Boxing Day is currently celebrated (or is, at the very least, a public holiday) in UK, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand and some other commonwealth countries. In some European countries, such as Germany, there is also an unconnected festive day known as Zweite Feiertag (which is quite literally translated as ‘second celebration’).
Boxing Day Traditions
Food and Drink
After the busy preparations in place for Christmas day, the food and drink on Boxing Day is a much more relaxed affair. Lunch is typically created from leftover Christmas dinner (always a bonus) or a roasted ham. Christmas desserts such as Mince Pies and leftover Christmas pudding are also on the table!
Fancy more mulled wine to go with your Christmas leftovers? Here’s my Christmas Markets Vin Chaud recipe!
Shopping
Boxing Day used to mark the start of the post-Christmas Sales, becoming a retailers dream as they get rid of old stock and sales soar from the vast amount of people shopping for that discount!
With the advantage of online shops, shopping can now commence from midnight on the dot! Elsewhere, shopping has become something of a sport for many keen to grab a great bargain: many stores open as early as 6 AM and shoppers have been known to queue outside in the cold from the early hours of the morning onwards.
In more recent years, the ‘Boxing Day Sale’ has become something which lasts longer than one day, with retailers often now starting the sales on Christmas Eve and running them until January.
Watching the football
Seeing the footie on the telly is a favourite British pastime and originally football games would be on the day of Christmas, but because of the viewer decline (Christmas was more family orientated day and public transport limited) it was decided that after 1957 that Boxing Day would therefore become the traditional day of football in the UK instead.
Many top teams play matches on Boxing Day, and after the King’s Speech on Christmas Day, they’re some of the most watched programmes of the festive season.
Fox Hunting
Traditionally Boxing Day was was one of the largest events on the hunting calendar… but luckily this cruel 16th century sport has become outdated, and, in 2004, it was made illegal to hunt foxes in England and Wales.
Swimming
This festive dip originally started out as a dare in 1985, but has since, throughout the UK, become quite the tradition!
In fact, in Sunderland ‘The Boxing Day Dip’ is an annual charity event where swimmers (many of which are in fancy dress) will swim in the sea on Boxing Day. All over the country on beaches brave (or foolhardy) people can be seen running into the freezing cold depths of water for this communal tradition.
A couple of years ago I partook in a chilly swim at Bigbury-on-Sea (can confirm, it was freezing!)
Found this interesting? Pin What is Boxing Day? now, read it again later (or, like, so you can remember the date for next year!)
