“In this corner weighing in at 17 lbs….is Kendry” Okay so I know Boxing Day is not a boxing match and we didn’t really Box Kendry up this morning….we just plotted him in a basket. Isn’t he just adorable!
When I was first introduced to Boxing Day….30 years ago….I didn’t have the foggiest of ideas what it was, actually I had never hear of it! My first thought was, “Oh…they just box up all the Christmas decorations and put it away???”
Well, after a little research on the topic, I unearthed quite a bit of interesting….although not completely consistent…. information about the origins and meaning of Boxing Day, which occurs on the day after Christmas.
One source states that Boxing Day started in England in the Middle Ages and that the holiday was created because servants were required to work on Christmas but had the following day off….(no day off at this household)…..and I thought I was the resident servant! Anyway, as they prepared to return to their families, their employers would present them with gifts and I assume they put them in boxes!
Another website states that Boxing Day is when people give gifts, bonuses, donations or items to others, often those less fortunate. For centuries, a Christmas box was an earthenware box, introduced by the Romans, used to collect donations, either as tips at a business or as donations for the poor. These "boxes" were smashed the day after Christmas and the funds were distributed, hence the name Boxing Day.
And from Wikipedia……
Boxing Day is a bank or public holiday that occurs on 26 December and is observed in Australia, Austria, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and in some Commonwealth nations that have a mainly Christian population. In South Africa, the public holiday 26 December is called Day of Goodwill, in Ireland St Stephen's Day or Lá an Dreoilín, and in continental European countries the "Second Christmas Day."
Though not an official holiday in the United States, some Americans use the term "Boxing Day," particularly those who live near the Canada – United States border. In Canada, Boxing Day is listed in the Canada Labour Code as an optional holiday. Only the province of Ontario has made it a statutory holiday where all workers receive time off with pay.
No matter the historic origins, or the more recent incarnations, it seems like what's most important is a spirit of charity shared by all.
So ………….Happy Boxing (basket) Day to everyone around the world!
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