Why is 26 Dececembers called boxing day?

Answer 1

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

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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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

Answer 2

Boxing Day refers to both the day after Christmas, December 26th, and the Public Holiday which follows Christmas Day, should the 26th and 27th fall on a weekend.
In Britain many years ago, it was a 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 to the modern day concept of Christmas bonuses. The servants carried boxes for the coins, hence the name Boxing Day.

Answer 3

Boxing Day in the UK is traditionally a day for sporting activity, originally fox hunting, but in modern times football and horse racing.

Boxing Day (in French, lendemain de Noël, "day after Christmas") is also observed as a public holiday in Commonwealth countries, 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, although some Australian states, including New South Wales are tightening restrictions on Boxing Day retail trading[1], deferring the post-Christmas sales to December 27.thats why its called as boxing day......

Answer 4

Any presents that people don't want are boxed up again for the poor or charity. That's why the day after Christmas Day is called Boxing Day. I't not about boxing as in fighting!

Answer 5

Coz all presents that people don't want are boxed up again for charity. That's why the day after Christmas Day is called Boxing Day.

Answer 6

I know that everything is 50% at the malls and they open at 8:00 am on Dec 26, 2006. The next day than they are not 50%.

Answer 7

Its a Canada thing. They box their presents back up and return them...

Or something.

Answer 8

think of a box as in present not fighting

Answer 9

Busiest time to do shopping in Canada. Sale everywhere.

Answer 10

I think it has something to do with china back in the 500's other than that I dunno