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What’s Boxing Day? The British Un-Christmas!
By SUZANNE KENNEDY
Americans might think Boxing
Day has some connec on to Mu-
hammad Ali, but they’d be wrong.
Celebrated mainly in Canada, the
United Kingdom and Ireland, Boxing
Day is mainly now a bank holiday.
It falls on the day a er Christmas,
Dec. 26, each year. The tradi ons
and origins of the day, however, are
much more interes ng.
Why is it called Boxing Day?
Well, fi rst, a Christmas box is the
Bri sh name for a Christmas pres-
ent. In Downton Abbey days,
servants would get the day a er
Christmas off and, a er receiving
a Christmas box from their master,
would go home to their families
to share gi s with them. In addi-
on, many churches put out small
boxes to collect money for the poor
on Christmas Day, and then open
them on Boxing Day.
So what do people do
on Boxing Day? It’s much
more casual than Christ-
mas, so many informally
meet up with friends and
family not seen on Christ-
mas Day and munch on
yummy le overs. They
could be watching sports
like horse racing, football
(soccer), or even fake fox
hun ng (yes, there is such
a thing).
If you’re super ad-
venturous, you might
try something silly like
swimming in ice cold water
that could subs tute for the
English Channel, or par cipa ng in
a charity fun run or other type of
charitable event. Sadly, or not,
depending on how you look at it, it
has also become a prime shopping
day.
What do people eat on Boxing
Day? Think easy. Le overs, hams,
Christmas cake, mince pie with
brandy bu er … wait, what? Mince
pies have been around as far back
as the 16th century. Back then they
were made of meat but are now
made with sweet mincemeat, a
mixture of dried fruits, sugar, spices
and brandy. Christmas cake takes
a couple of months to make sure
there’s enough me to “feed” it
brandy. If you have me, you can
also soak the dried mixed fruits the
night before in a li le extra brandy
and fi nish it the next day. Wowza —
did I men on the brandy?
Boxing Day isn’t a tradi on
in America because, although it
extends far back in history, it didn’t
become offi cial un l 1871, long
a er the Americans won their in-
dependence from England. By that
me, we had Thanksgiving to cel-
ebrate, anyway. My waistline can
only handle so many holidays.
Feeling Bri sh? Here’s
how you can celebrate
with your family.
Be charitable. Box up
your unused clothing and
household items to do-
nate. Tip the people who
provide a service for you
(your mail carrier, hair
stylist, babysi er, etc.)
Be ac ve. Since soccer
is such an important part
of Boxing Day, get out of
the house and burn off
some of those Christmas
calories with your family.
You might even try to get
the neighborhood out together,
depending on the weather.
Visit family and friends. Let’s
face it, there’s not enough me
to see everyone on Christmas. If
Christmas is all family, plan an easy
get-together with friends for the
day a er. Keep it casual with a pot-
luck, or meet at a local restaurant.
Turn on some music or sports and
keep the merriment going.
Stay true to Boxing Day roots.
Use the a er-Christmas sales to
shop for the needy. Blankets, warm
socks, gloves, and jackets are o en
on good sales and you’ll be able to
help more people with a smaller
budget.
Don’t forget to sing a chorus of
“Good King Wenceslas.” The feast
day of Saint Stephen, referred to in
the song, is on Boxing Day!
________
Suzanne Kennedy is a former
middle school teacher who lives in
Pendleton with her husband and
three children.