where does boxing day come from?

Question

26th december

what does boxing day mean

Answer 1

Mystyllin was the first to come close to what I understand is the correct answer. I think it also included others with wealth being generous to their servants.
Brenden's is really great. Thanks Brenden!

A Madly Merry, Wickedly Happy Christmas to all!
Charles "That Cheeky Lad"
Abbey and Angel

Answer 2

In English-speaking countries, the day following Christmas Day is called 'Boxing Day'. This word comes from the custom which started in the Middle Ages around 800 years ago: churches would open their 'alms boxe' and distribute the contents to poor people in the neighbourhood on the day after Christmas.

Answer 3

Boxing Day originates in England in the large country estate homes and manors. The family celebrated christmas, but the servants were excluded. On Boxing Day (the day after christmas) the servants received gifts from their employers. The gifts were boxed, so there it is.

Answer 4

There are disparate theories as to the origins of the term. The more common stories include:

1. 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 26th, 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.

2. 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. 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.

3. 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.

4. Boxing Day was the day when the wren, the king of birds[citation needed], was captured and put in a box and introduced to each household in the village when he would be asked for a successful year and a good harvest. See Frazer's Golden Bough.

5. Evidence can also be found in Wassail songs such as:

Where are you going ? said Milder to Malder,
Oh where are you going ? said Fessel to Foe,
I'm going to hunt the cutty wren said Milder to Malder,
I'm going to hunt the cutty wren said John the Rednose.
And what will you do wi' it ? said Milder to Malder,
And what will you do wi' it ? said Fessel to Foe,
I'll put it in a box said Milder to Malder,
I'll put it in a box said John the Rednose.
etc.

6. Because the staff had to work on such an important day as Christmas Day by serving the master of the house and their family, they were given the following day off. Since being kept away from their own families to work on a traditional religious holiday and not being able to celebrate Christmas Dinner, the customary benefit was to 'box' up the left over food from Christmas Day and send it away with the servants and their families. Hence the 'boxing' of food became 'boxing day'.

Brendan

Answer 5

When people re-wrap their presents in the same boxes and return the ones they don't like. Or, it could be when kids get boxed around the ears for not appreciating what they got. Either answer is right because I know everything.

Answer 6

2 meanings:
1) the "Christmas" for the lower class back in the day. since many of them had to work on the 25th, usually serving guests at the family they served's christmas party, they got the following day off to celebrate for themselves
2) the day boxes that previously held gifts were thrown out.

Answer 7

The day after Christmas the garbage collectors would collect all the rubbish from Christmas day including all the boxes that the gifts came in. Hence boxing day.

Answer 8

My Aunt told us that, "back in the day" Royalty would celebrate Christmas on Christmas Day, and then the following day, the left over food was sent to the peasants, and they would celebrate, exchanging gifts in boxes...thus, boxing day.

Answer 9

When people had servants ( well some do, unfortunately!). they used to give them presents (or boxes) on the day after Christmas. Hence boxing day!

Answer 10

boxing day is st.Stephen day ....and up and down the country in most Catholic churches is the day all alter servers get blessed