Why is "Boxing day" so named ??

Question

Where does the name Boxing Day come from, because I have never seen any one boxing on this day ?

Answer 1

Boxing Day is the following day after Christmas Day. Like Christmas Day, Boxing Day is a public holiday. The name of the day goes back to medieval times, more than 800 years ago, when alms boxes were placed at the back of every church to collect money for the poor. Traditionally, it is on this day that the alms box at every English church is opened and the contents are distributed to the poor.

Historians say the holiday developed because servants were required to work on Christmas Day, but took the following day off. As servants prepared to leave to visit their families, their employers would present them with Christmas boxes.
During the late 18th century, Lords and Ladies of the manor would "box up" their leftover food, or sometimes gifts and distribute them the day after Christmas to tenants who lived and worked on their lands.

The tradition of giving money still continues today. It is customary for householders to give small gifts or monetary tips to regular visiting trades people (the milkman, dustman, coalman, paper boy etc.) and, in some work places, for employers to give a Christmas bonus to employees.

Boxing Day is also known as St. Stephen's Day (when Good King Wenceslas looked out).

'Good King Wenceslas looked out,
On the Feast of Stephen...........'

He lived in Rome and was the first man to be killed for believing in the teachings of Jesus. His story is told in the Acts of the Apostles 6: 1 to 8: 2.

Some people claim that he shares this day with another St Stephen, who came from Sweden. St Stephen of Sweden is the patron saint of horses. Boxing Day has long be associated with outdoor sports, especially horse racing and hunting.

Answer 2

In the 19th century the landed gentry would hold huge feast-type meals over the holiday for their friends. The day after, the leftovers got "boxed up" and taken to the poor and needy in the village.
This is why some older people still refer to their Christmas bonus as a "Christmas box".
You're the third person to ask this question in under 24 hrs...

Answer 3

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 26 December, 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.

* 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 leftover food from Christmas Day and send it away with the servants and their families. Hence the "boxing" of food became "Boxing Day".

Answer 4

Nowadays when we think of “Boxing Day,” the word “sale” almost immediately follows. After all, December 26 is the day when stores dramatically reduce the prices of their year-end merchandise and thus attract throngs of eager shoppers who would storm the malls in a frenzied mission to snatch up bargains. As exciting as this may be, it is important that we remember the true spirit behind this special day and not neglect its rich history.

The Boxing Day tradition began in Britain possibly as early as in the Middle Ages; with regards to its origin, there are two main schools of thought. Some historians maintain that it began as a holiday tradition where house servants, who always had to work on Christmas days, were rewarded the day after. Their employers would put gifts such as food, clothing, or money in “Christmas boxes,” which the servants would then take with them as they departed for family visits. Others say that Boxing Day is so named because churches collected money for the poor in wooden boxes and usually opened them to hand out alms on the day after Christmas. Today, Boxing Day is celebrated in most of the other English-speaking countries that include Canada, Australia and New Zealand, the United States being a notable exception.

The spirit of generosity surrounding this day is best exemplified by the fact that December 26 is also St. Stephen’s Day. St. Stephen was one of the seven original deacons in the Christian Church. He was stoned to death by an angry mob for his devoted piety and faith in Christ. As he expired in a slow and painful death, St. Stephen uttered a powerful prayer in which he begged God to forgive his persecutors. Many consider him to be the first martyr.

Boxing Day is therefore much more than a fun day at the mall; it is meant to be a day of giving and sharing, and of charity and appreciation in an extension of seasonal joy.

Answer 5

The first weekday after CHRISTMAS day, so called because it used to be tradition to give Christmas boxes(small presents or tips) on that day to people such as employees of firms or servants providing regular services. In modern usage the first day rather than the first weekday after Christmas Day is often referred to as boxing day instead.

Answer 6

Happy Holidays

Answer 7

I think it is called boxing day because there are lots of boxes around lol!

Answer 8

Education & Reference > Words & Wordplay Society & Culture > Languages Games & Recreation > Board Games Education & Reference > Homework Help Computers & Internet > Programming & Design If I search questions though I just get loads of stuff about engineering because I share a name with some sort of electrical device.

Answer 9

its the day people box up the stuff from christmas and try to sell it so they can clear it out of the stores.

Answer 10

Mike Tyson.