What's the deal with boxing day? Is it a holiday?

Answer 1

Boxing Day is a public holiday observed in many Commonwealth countries on 26 December. In many European countries it is also a holiday, called St. Stephen's Day or the Second Day of Christmas. Depending on its origin, it may have traditionally been strictly defined as the first weekday after Christmas [1]. However, in recent years Boxing Day has been almost universally accepted as 26 December [2], although its associated public holiday may fall on a different day.

Boxing Day is often celebrated by giving gifts and donations to the poor and needy.

In some Commonwealth countries, fixed-date holidays falling on Saturday or Sunday are often observed on the next weekday, so if Boxing Day falls on a Saturday then Monday 28 December is a public holiday; while, if Christmas Day is a Saturday then both Monday 27 December and Tuesday 28 December will be public holidays. In the http://www.dti.gov.uk/er/bankhol.htm government holiday listing of the United Kingdom for 2004, the bank holiday in lieu of Boxing Day was observed on Monday 27 December, before the holiday in lieu of Christmas Day on Tuesday 28 December.
There is great dispute over the true origins of Boxing Day. The more common stories include:

Centuries ago, merchants would present their servants food and fruits as a form of Yuletide tip. Naturally, the gifts of food and fruit were packed in boxes, hence the term "Boxing Day".
In feudal times, Christmas was a reason for a gathering of extended families. All the serfs would gather their families in the manor of their lord, which made it easier for the lord of the estate to hand out annual stipends to the serfs. After all the Christmas parties on December 26, 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 get a box full of such goods the day after Christmas. Under this explanation, there was nothing voluntary about this transaction; the lord of the manor was obliged to supply these goods. Because of the boxes being given out, the day was called Boxing Day.
In Britain 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 (December 25). 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.
In churches, it was traditional to open the church's donation box on Christmas day, and the money in the donation box was to be distributed to the poorer or lower class citizens on the next day. In this case, the "box" in "Boxing Day" comes from that one gigantic lockbox in which the donations were left.
In Britain because many servants had to work for their employers on Christmas day they would instead open their presents (i.e., boxes) the next day, which therefore became known as Boxing Day.
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Commonwealth observance
Boxing Day in the UK is traditionally a day for sporting activity, originally fox hunting, but in modern times football and horseracing.

In Canada, and indeed any other country that celebrates it, Boxing Day (in French, lendemain de Noël, "day after Christmas") is also observed as a public holiday, and is a day when stores sell their excess Christmas inventory at significantly reduced prices. Boxing Day has become so important for retailers that they often extend it into a "Boxing Week". This occurs similarly in Australia and New Zealand.

In Australia, a test match starting on December 26 is called the Boxing Day Test Match, and is played at the Melbourne Cricket Ground before the largest crowd of the summer.

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European observance
In Austria, Denmark, Germany, Hungary, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland and Sweden, the 26th is known as the Second day of Christmas ("der zweite Weihnachtsfeiertag" in Germany, Annandag Jul — "the day after Christmas" — in Sweden) and is also a public holiday. In Ireland, the holiday is known as St Stephen's Day, or Wren's Day; in Austria it is called Stefanitag,in Italy Santo Stefano, and in Finland tapaninpäivä which also mean "St. Stephen's Day"; in Wales, it is known as Gŵyl San Steffan (St. Stephen's Holiday). In Catalonia, this day is known as Sant Esteve, Catalan for St. Stephen. A practice known as Hunt the Wren is still practiced by some in the Isle of Man, where people thrash out wrens from hedgerows. Traditionally they were killed and their feathers presented to households for good luck. In Germany the days between Christmas and new year are called "the days between the years" (zwischen den Jahren) and becoming more and more important for retailers to clear the unsold christmas goods.

Answer 2

Boxing Day takes place on December 26th or the following Monday if December 26 falls on a Saturday or Sunday. It began in England, in the middle of the nineteenth century, under Queen Victoria. Boxing Day, also known as St. Stephen's Day, was a way for the upper class to give gifts of cash, or other goods, to those of the lower classes.
Boxing Day is celebrated in Australia, Britain, New Zealand, and Canada.
There seems to be two theories on the origin of Boxing Day and why it is celebrated. The first is that centuries ago, on the day after Christmas, members of the merchant class would give boxes containing food and fruit, clothing, and/or money to trades people and servants. The gifts were an expression of gratitude much like when people receive bonuses, from their employer, for a job well done, today. These gifts, given in boxes, gave the holiday it's name, "Boxing Day".
The second thought is that Boxing Day comes from the tradition of opening the alms boxes placed in churches over the Christmas season. The clergy distributed the contents amongst the poor the day after Christmas.
Today, Boxing Day is spent with family and friends with lots of food and sharing of friendship and love. Government buildings and small businesses are closed but the malls are open and filled with people exchanging gifts or buying reduced priced Christmas gifts, cards, and decorations.
To keep the tradition of Boxing Day alive, many businesses, organizations, and families donate their time, services, and money to aid Food Banks and provide gifts for the poor, or they may choose to help an individual family that is in need.

Answer 3

Boxing Day is Boxing Day and Yes Canada has Christmas Day just like the good old US imagine that lol It really does amaze me how we can be so close to the US yet I hear all the time how little the citizens of the US know so little about Canada. Yes I know its not nation-wide but being online I run into it all the time how little you are taught about the country to the north of you and yet we learn your history and know about you. Education is a wonderful thing.

Answer 4

Yes it is a holiday in Canada and The United Kingdom. The day after Christmas, the wealthy would take money and other goods and give them to the less fortunate. It is also known as the Feast of Saint Stephen.

Answer 5

Yes, the day after Christmas I believe in Canada, Britain and some other countries. Somebody else will probably know more than me.

Answer 6

Traditionaly Boxing Day was a day for servants to celebrate Christmas after all they would be working on Christmas day

Answer 7

Boxing Day is the day after Christmas. They have boxing day so that you can box up all those crappy gifts you got and return them.

Answer 8

boxing day is a holiday in canada only and is celebrated in canada only

Answer 9

yep, the day after Christmas, you box up some stuff real nice to give to the less fortunate

Answer 10

It is a holiday - it is on the calendar. Isn't it Canada's equivalent to our Christmas?