What the hell is boxing day in Canada?

Answer 1

Boxing day originated in England ! As you know canada is a common wealth country and followed suit .day after christmas that retial stores use to create more sales for themselves...and consumers look for discounts..
its history is as follows...
Boxing Day originated in England in the middle of the nineteenth century under Queen Victoria. December 26th became a holiday as boxes were filled with gifts and money for servants and tradespeople.

Also, poor people carried empty boxes from door to door, and the boxes were soon filled with food, Christmas sweets, and money. Parents gave their children small gifts such as, oranges, handkerchiefs, and socks. People also placed old clothing that they didn't need anymore in boxes, and they were given to those in need.

Today, Boxing Day is a holiday in the United Kingdom, Canada, and many other Commonwealth nations. It is spent with family and friends at open gatherings with lots of food, fun, and the sharing of friendship and love.

While government buildings and small businesses are closed, the malls are filled with people either exchanging gifts or buying reduced priced Christmas gifts, cards, and decorations.

Throughout the Christmas season, many organizations follow the original tradition of Boxing Day by donating their time, energy, and money to fill the Food Bank, provide gifts for children who live in poverty, or to help an individual family who is in great need at the time.

Answer 2

Boxing day is "celebrated" in Canada (along with the UK and other Commonwealth nations) on December 26th. Historically, it was a day when the nobility and the upper class would redistribute the leftover food/wine/gifts/etc from Christmas to the less fortunate. Nowadays - in Canada, at least - there really isn't any special meaning to Boxing Day per se. Instead, it's become the day when shopping centres have huge post-Christmas sales, and people cram their way into the shops looking for good deals. I can remember a time (and I'm only in my mid-twenties :) when Boxing Day sales really only happened on the 26th, and everyone would run around to their favourite stores trying to nail down the best bargains...but these days a lot of places have morphed Boxing Day into "Boxing Week," and in some cases the discounts keep going past the New Year. Nonetheless, Boxing Day proper is still the day to be masochistic and fight your way through the crowds to buy yourself whatever Santa forgot to bring you (but don't think of returning the gifts that didn't suit your fancy...due to the high volume of shoppers, many stores post signs stating that refunds/exchanges will not be carried out on Boxing Day)

Answer 3

I am not really sure how or why it originated, but it is the day following Christmas. It is a statutory holiday. Many of us go shopping (we have huge sales-personally I won't go near a store on Boxing Day). It is an extra day to clean up, finish visiting with friends/family before heading back to work on Dec. 27. It's great for those of us with divorced parents and in-laws; it allows us one more day that we don't have to be in 3 places at once!

Answer 4

In Canada, Boxing Day is observed as a holiday, except (in some cases) for those in the retail business. Boxing Day and the days immediately following are when many retail stores sell their Christmas and retired model products by holding clearance sales. Some shoppers will line up for hours at night (sometimes before midnight and after midnight on December 26) for retailers to open their doors. Except in Quebec, retailers often open their stores earlier than usual, such as 6 or 7 am. Some retail companies internally refer to the sales week after Christmas as the "thirteenth month." (See Boxing Week.) It is similar to Black Friday (the day after Thanksgiving) in the United States. Boxing Day 2005 was the single largest economic transaction day ever in the history of Canadian commerce (according to Visa). Individual big box stores can even gross over $1,000,000(CAN) on one single boxing day.
However, in some cities, retail stores are not permitted to open on Boxing Day because of municipal regulations; in those cities, Boxing Day sales begin on December 27.
In addition to the retail aspect of the holiday, Boxing Day also serves as a second day for families to gather for dinner and to exchange gifts. Boxing Day Dinner is, in many ways, just as much a part of many families traditions as Christmas Dinner itself.

Answer 5

It all started that long time ago..( that's why nobody remember how it all start),people use to travel far and wide to visit relatives and friends...and by the time they got back it would too late,so they open their presents the next day,thus calling it 'boxing day'God bless and have a great holiday too.

Answer 6

Boxing day is where bosses give out bonuses

Answer 7

yeah i wonderd that too thanks for asking that i don't lose 5 points but gain it for writing this