Where did the term 'boxing day' originate?

Answer 1

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. 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. The origins of Boxing Day can be traced back to regular punch-ups caused by excessive intake of alcohol by the aristocracy. It became popular and a pastime for families with unsettled issues of wealth and status.

5. Boxing Day was the day when the wren, the king of birds, 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.

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'.

Answer 2

I read the BEST ANSWER a couple days ago. I'll paste it here now.

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker

It comes from the old tradition in England when the rich people would celebrate Christmas day and invite their friends for a big dinner party.
The unfortunate house servants (cooks, butlers, maids etc. had to work ALL DAY CHRISTMAS DAY, boo hoo)
Then, December 26, the hard working staff would receive the day off and a box with a present from their employers. BOXING DAY!
It is also called "second Christmas".

Nowadays it is just a second holiday for a lot of government workers and corporations. Imagine if Christmas falls on a Sunday. You wouldn't want to be cheated out of a holiday with pay? You could take Monday off, and call it Second Christmas = Boxing day in the UK.

Source(s):
A documentary on the BBC about Christmas traditions.

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Answer 3

I think the origin of the phrase, to date, is unknown.

Why it came about is explained below:

Boxing Day is so called because on this day it was the customary for tradesmen to collect their Christmas boxes or gifts in return for good service throughout the year. Also, it included giving money and other gifts to charitable institutions, and the needy.

The holiday may date from as early as the Middle Ages, but the exact origin is not known. It may have begun with the Lords and Ladies of England, who gave Christmas boxes/gifts to their servants on December 26, or maybe by priests, who opened the church's alms (charity boxes), and distributed the contents to the poor and needy.

Answer 4

It's an old English tradition where the Upper Class or Gentry would give their servants a box containing a present, often something left over from their own Christmas celebrations, on the day after Christmas Day. Hence Boxing Day.
In many parts of the world, it's known as St. Stephen's Day.

Answer 5

Main Entry: Boxing Day
Function: noun
: the first weekday after Christmas observed as a legal holiday in parts of the Commonwealth of Nations and marked by the giving of Christmas boxes to service workers (as postal workers)

OK, too much to mention on the origin, so just check here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boxing_Day#Origins

Answer 6

* 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 lock box in which the donations were left.

Answer 7

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.

So your answer is Britain.

Answer 8

I've only ever heard people use "on the box" to mean "on television" - as in "Is there anything worth watching on the box tonight?" But I think the answer about the Social Fund cash being kept in a strongbox makes sense.

Answer 9

The source has a few possible origins but my favourite is this one:

The origins of Boxing Day can be traced back to regular punch-ups caused by excessive intake of alcohol by the aristocracy. It became popular and a pastime for families with unsettled issues of wealth and status.

Posh family dispute? Punch them into submission!

Answer 10

It is originated from the custom of giving tradesmen a Christmas box on this day.