Boxing Day

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Boxing Day began in England, in the middle of the 19th century, under Queen Victoria. It is a public holiday observed in many Commonwealth countries (Australia, Britain, New Zealand and Canada) on the first day (other than Sunday) following Christmas Day. Boxing Day is often celebrated by giving gifts of cash and donations of other goods to the poor and needy.

There are several explanations for the name Boxing Day. One is that the lord of the estate would give practical goods such as cloth, grains and tools to the serfs who lived on his land. Each family would receive a box full of such goods the day after Christmas. This can be compared with the modern day concept of Christmas bonuses. Another theory is that boxes were placed in churches where parishioners deposited coins for the poor and these were opened and the contents distributed on December 26, which is also the Feast of St. Stephen.

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