why do they call it boxing day?

Question

i dont get it, where does the name boxing day come from???? is it because you throw boxes out on that day? some one please tell me as it has been playing on my mind for a while now, thank you. happy holidays too all!!

Answer 1

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

It was the day when people would give a present or Christmas 'box' to those who had worked for them throughout the year. This is still done in Britain for postmen and paper-boys - though now the 'box' is usually given before Christmas, not after.
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 England 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 lockbox in which the donations were left.
Boxing Day was the day when the wren, the king of birds,[3] 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 by serving the master of the house and their family, they were given the following day off. As servants were kept away from their own families to work on a traditional religious holiday and were not 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. (Similarly, as the servants had the 26th off, the owners of the manor may have had to serve themselves pre-prepared, boxed food for that one day.) Hence the "boxing" of food became "Boxing Day".

Answer 2

Its an old tradition, in that on Box'ing Day (in Britain) - being the first weekday - working day after Christmas, was a time when Christmas gifts or boxes were given to employees, letter carriers, etc. What we now call the service workers.

From 1954 to 1993 in the United Kingdom, when 26 December was a Sunday it was referred to as Christmas Sunday, and "Boxing Day" in popular usage referred to the 27th, but this practice had fallen out of use by the time of the next occurrence in 1999.

In Pagan times, Boxing Day was the day when the wren, the king of birds was captured and put in a box and taken to each household in the village when he would be asked for a successful year and a good harvest. This was before the church attached the Christian birth to the date.

The Early church replaced this pagan custom, by started a 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 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.

When the enclosure act took away most of the common land in England, the church responded by re-opening the church's donation box on Christmas Day, and the money in the donation box was to be distributed, much the same way as the fudel lord had done to the villeins (land workers)

Amoungst the Victorian workers, like servants - it was common practice 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 is where the modern day concept of Christmas bonuses arises. The servants carried boxes for the coins.

In Ireland, the 26th December is known as St Stephen's Day, or Wren's Day; in Austria it is called Stefanitag,in Italy Santo Stefano, and in Finland tapaninpäivä which also mean "St. Stephen's Day"; in Wales, it is known as Gŵyl San Steffan (St. Stephen's Holiday). In Catalonia, this day is known as Sant Esteve, Catalan for St. Stephen. A practice known as Hunt the Wren is still practiced by some in the Isle of Man, where people thrash out wrens from hedgerows. Traditionally they were killed and their feathers presented to households for good luck. In Ireland, children used to kill a wren, then take its body from door-to-door, begging for money which they would use (supposedly) to pay for the bird's funeral. In Germany the days between Christmas and new year are called "the days between the years" (zwischen den Jahren) and becoming more and more important for retailers to clear the unsold Christmas goods.

Answer 3

If you presented a box to someone containing what s(he) liked, you made it. If s(he) didn't you probably get a punch. Either way it justifies the name. How does that matter, anyways? Go, enjoy the day to its fullest.

Answer 4

I know why it was called boxing day last year! I bought Mrs a new chip pan for xmas( els teeth i asked what she really needed )

Answer 5

There are disparate theories as to the origins of the term. The greater elementary memories contain: It grow to be the day while human beings might provide a recent or Christmas 'container' to those who had labored for them by way of the twelve months. this continues to be accomplished in Britain for postmen and paper-boys - nonetheless now the 'container' is often given in the past Christmas, no longer after. In feudal situations, Christmas grow to be a rationalization for a amassing of prolonged families. all the serfs might assemble their families interior the manor of their lord, which made it much less complicated for the lord of the valuables accessible out annual stipends to the serfs. after all the Christmas events on 26 December, the lord of the valuables might provide sensible products which includes textile, grains, and kit to the serfs who lived on his land. each relatives might get a container finished of such products the day after Christmas. under this rationalization, there grow to be no longer something voluntary approximately this transaction; the lord of the manor grow to be obliged to grant those products. simply by containers being given out, the day grow to be stated as Boxing Day. In England some years in the past, it grow to be elementary prepare for the servants to hold containers to their employers while they arrived for their day's paintings on the day after Christmas. Their employers might then placed funds interior the containers as specific end-of-twelve months presents. that's usually in comparison with the renowned-day thought of Christmas bonuses. The servants carried containers for the money, subsequently the call Boxing Day. In church homes, it grow to be classic to open the church's donation container on Christmas Day, and the money interior the donation container grow to be to be dispensed to the poorer or decrease type voters on day after today. for this reason, the "container" in "Boxing Day" comes from that lockbox wherein the donations have been left. Boxing Day grow to be the day while the wren, the king of birds,[3] grow to be captured and put in a container and presented to each kinfolk interior the village while he may well be asked for a efficient twelve months and a powerful harvest. See Frazer's Golden Bough.

Answer 6

i heard:

1. people used to go hunt robins, catching them with box-string-stick arrangements

2. people used to put the leftovers of Christmas scran in boxes to give to the poor.

doubtless there are better explanations...

Answer 7

It is the day when the rich used to pack up their unwanted presents and give them to the church for the poor.

Answer 8

BOXING DAY STEMS FROM THE OLDEN DAYS WHEN THE LORDS OF THE MANOR WOULD GIVE THE SERVANTS THERE CHRISTMAS BOXES.

Answer 9

Few, now a days, refer to boxing as "pugilism"......


your sister,
Ginger

Answer 10

cos wives spend the whole day beating their husbands for buying crappy presants