What is Boxing day to you?

[IntruderLS1]

I spent Christmas in London two years ago, and it was the first time I had ever heard of Boxing Day. It was huge, but believe it or not, I could never find anybody with a straight answer on what exactly it was. The recurring theme seemed to be "It's like a second Christmas."

I know what Wiki says about it, but I know we have a lot of British / Commonwealth folks around these parts...

Soooo... What does Boxing day mean to you?

Culturize us for a minute.

 

[GameCrazed]

I heard of it once. Seemed kinda stupid. Don't know much about it, though.

 

[Tim]

Doesn't Las Vegas celebrate boxing various days throughout the year?

I'm always hearing about match ups between heavy weights there. :dunno

 

[COOL_BREEZE2]

When I was a child I recall it was the day all the kids took their toys (well some) to church following Christmas day. I think I remember that part of it.

Besides the original meaning, what is significant to us is on this day families take the opportunity to visit one another since on Christmas day itself families tend to spend most of the time at home with one another.

So on Boxing Day folks would visit one another (families and friends) partaking in various seasonal dishes and drinks and basically hanging out with those whom they may not have seen for a while. It's not unusual to travel from house to house on this occasion in this way on this day. That's basically our tradition.

 

[hubersrj]

It was originally the day when everyone packed up their shit and got ready to move since customarily, everyone's leases ran out on 31DEC. That practice has long since been abolished, but that day has remained as a major holiday not only in the UK, but also in Canada as I well I beleive.

That's just what I can remember from history class in High school...and well crap, that was well over a decade ago.

 

[skyblue]

as the story goes........in the days of lords and ladies having big banquets.......the workers had to work on christmas day to serve the gentry they're christmas dinners.....as an act of goodwill the gentry would give the workers the next day off and box up all the left over food and hand it out so they also got a christmas dinner

 

[hubersrj]

Oh, ok...like a lot of stories from the past, they tend to get a little mutated crossing the Pond.

Boxing Day was celebrated in the states back when we were still British colonies...then it stayed around a little bit after the Revolution in the big cities with British roots and American dreams....maybe that's where I got my info from ????

 

[Ria]

as the story goes........in the days of lords and ladies having big banquets.......the workers had to work on christmas day to serve the gentry they're christmas dinners.....as an act of goodwill the gentry would give the workers the next day off and box up all the left over food and hand it out so they also got a christmas dinner

Yep, what Sky said. Mind you, we don't actually do that now, unless the Queen does for her staff? Boxing day is now, as CB says, time to visit family and friends not seen for a while, for those with families.

 

[hubersrj]

gotcha...hi Ria!

 

[Ria]

gotcha...hi Ria!

Hiya Ron!

 

[Peter Parka]

As far as I'm concerned it's just a bank holiday to sleep off your hangover then get down the pub in the evening to talk about how your Christmas was.:dunno

 

[Keight]

Boxing day to me means recovering from the huge alcohol consumption from the day before, that and putting together all the toys and stuff that people insist on giving my children LOL its a frustrating day and makes me feel i want to box someone

 

[IntruderLS1]

LOL I'm getting the distinct impression that it isn't a culturally important thing. haha.

It's kind of cool that you have it though. An extra free day off every year.

 

[Keight]

I dont think there is an actual meaning for it to tell you the truth, lemmie see if i can find something....

Oh ok so i found something...

• In England many years ago, it was common practice for the servants to carry boxes to their employers when they arrived for their day's work on the day after Christmas. Their employers would then put coins in the boxes as special end-of-year gifts. This can be compared with the modern day concept of Christmas bonuses. The servants carried boxes for the coins, hence the name Boxing Day.

there are a few other theories found Boxing Day: Definition and Much More from Answers.com

It all pretty much says the same sort of thing though

 

[IntruderLS1]

Oh ok so i found something...
In England many years ago, it was common practice for the servants to carry boxes to their employers when they arrived for their day's work on the day after Christmas. Their employers would then put coins in the boxes as special end-of-year gifts. This can be compared with the modern day concept of Christmas bonuses. The servants carried boxes for the coins, hence the name Boxing Day.

LMAO!! My boss is from Newcastle. I'm SOOOO printing this up and pasting it to a box to bring into work with me on the 26th.

:24::24:

 

[Keight]

LOL that should hopefully wish him a merry christmas in a round about way LOL

 

[Butterfly]

In SA (a previous British Colony too) we also still have a public holiday (Bank holiday as Peter calls 'em) the day after Christmas day. It previously was called Boxing day, but the name has since been changed to Family day. We also pretty much use it as a day to catch up with folks we wouldn't have seen on Christmas day, and to wish them happy holidays.

 

[Mase]

Its a day for boxing to me.

 

[Keight]

As a Tradition New Years Day For My Family and Myself has been a bigger day for us even more than Christmas day or Boxing day.

 

[Peter Parka]

As a Tradition New Years Day For My Family and Myself has been a bigger day for us even more than Christmas day or Boxing day.

:homo: Guess it's the Scottish blood in me, up there Hogmany is huge, miles bigger than Christmas, I've always wanted to do New Year in Edinbrough.:rockon: