What is the origin of Boxing Day?

Answer 1

Boxing Day, also known as St. Stephen's Day, is celebrated on December 26 - the day after Christmas. It was a way for people to make contributions of cash or goods to those less fortunate. Some say it began with the opening of alms boxes in churches during Christmas season and the contributions were distributed the day after Christmas to the needy.

Boxing Day is celebrated in Canada, England, Scotland, Wales, Australia, New Zealand and many other Commonwealth countries. Today many families and businesses donate time, money or services to those individuals or charities who are in need.

It was also the day when the master/mistress would distribute the Christmas Box (a gift or money) to the servants. Once upon a time people like the postman (mailman), refuse collector and milkman would call at the houses they serviced for a Christmas "Box" and woe betide the person who didn't give one. Nowadays we just "tip" the people when we see them.

Boxing Day originated during the Victorian era. Family households would celebrate Christmas on Christmas Day but this meant that their servants had to continue with their normal work and so, in effect, missed out on the celebration. To compensate for this, families would set aside December 26 as the time for their servants' Christmas. Work duties would be dropped to a minimum, with family members assuming some of the responsibilities of the servants, such as keeping the fireplace stocked with coal, greeting visitors themselves and supplying the servants with a good Christmas dinner. The term "Boxing Day" refers to the gift that the family gave to each servant - wrapped in box. Despite the good-will shown to their servants there was no mixed lunch or partying the night away together. Decent families still kept a reasonable distance from their servants.

Answer 2

December 26 is called Boxing Day in England and other countries in the Commonwealth, but it is unknown exactly when it first began.

Boxing Day seems to have originated in the mid nineteenth century in England. Some historians believe the name 'Boxing Day' came about because the boxes placed in churches where parishioners deposited alms (coins) for the poor and needy were opened, and the contents were distributed on December 26, which is also the Feast of St Stephen. (St Stephen was the first Christian martyr.)

Others believe that the Boxing Day tradition originated as a holiday for members of the upper class to give boxes containing food, clothing or money to tradespeople and servants, in much the same way that many employers offer their employees bonuses today. These gifts were usually given in boxes; hence the name 'Boxing Day".

Oxford English Dictionary says this comes from the Christmas box; the verb box meaning: To give a Christmas-box, and then leading to the term boxing-day.

An extension of the above theory is that when Christmas holidays were much shorter than they are today certain services often only had Christmas Day as a holiday and returned to work the day after. These included services such as the mail, newspaper or milk delivery. Householders would give them a Christmas gift or, as it was commonly called, a Christmas box on this day to thank them for their service throughout the year.

The common theme, however, is that Boxing Day has absolutely nothing to do with the sport of boxing.

Likewise, it does not gain its name from the overpowering need to rid the house of an excess of wrappings and mountains of now useless cardboard boxes the day after St Nick arrived to turn a perfectly charming and orderly home into a maelstrom of discarded tissue paper.

The name also has nothing to do with returning unwanted gifts to the stores they came from, despite its common association with hauling about boxes on the day after Christmas.
as after Christmas families had extra food left over so they would put it into boxes and bring it around to their neighbours
It was custom for tradesmen to collect boxes of gifts for charities and homeless. Now its just a holiday boxing day dates back to around 400 A.D. but its true origin remains a mystery.

Answer 3

Every December 26, going at least as far back as 1833, according to the United Kingdom and other countries that are part of the British Commonwealth—such as Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and India—have observed Boxing Day as an opportunity to give provide some holiday joy to those who most need it.

Answer 4

12/6/2021

Answer 5

In days gone by the term Boxing Day originated from the Upper Classes and their servants.

The servants of the house would wait on their Lord and Masters on Christmas Day, and the following day they would receive their gifts from them. These usually arrived in small boxes, and the day became known as boxes day. Over the years the name changed slightly and is commonly referred to as Boxing Day.