Did you know that Boxing Day is named for gift-giving — not the sport ?
Although the Oxford English Dictionary traces the first published mention of the term “Boxing Day” to 1743, the acts associated with the day are significantly older, and stem from murky origins. One popular theory is that the holiday grew from the tradition of distributing the donations collected in church alms boxes to the poor on December 26, a date historically celebrated as St. Stephen's Day (or the Feast of St. Stephen) in honor of the charitable Christian martyr. Another widely cited belief is that members of the upper class once filled Christmas boxes with food, money, and small gifts and gave them to the household staff to enjoy on December 26, a well-deserved day off after spending Christmas Day in servitude.
While the charitable elements of the holiday have largely faded, Boxing Day still offers its share of modern traditions. Though its origins aren’t sporty in nature, the day off is considered a good time to enjoy sports, both for the energetic folk who seek to work off their Christmas dinners and the contentedly relaxed who want to tune in to a full slate of soccer games on television. Additionally, Boxing Day has emerged as a big retail day in the mold of Black Friday, which means the opportunity to snag a few more end-of-year savings, as well as the chance to return those unwanted socks as quickly as possible.
****
The Professor shares his discoveries, so that you can share them with others.
