What Is Boxing Day?
Traditional English holiday extends Christmas giving
大卫•约翰逊
Related LinksHistorians say the holiday developed because servants were required to work onChristmas Day, but took the following day off. As servants prepared to leave to visit their families, their employers would present them with gift boxes. |
Despite its name, Boxing Day, which is celebrated on December 26 in Great Britain, has nothing to do with pugilistic competition. Nor is it a day for people to return unwanted Christmas presents. While the exact origins of the holiday are obscure, it is likely that Boxing Day began inEnglandduring theMiddle Ages.
Some historians say the holiday developed because servants were required to work onChristmas Day, but took the following day off. As servants prepared to leave to visit their families, their employers would present them with gift boxes.
Church Alms Boxes
Another theory is that the boxes placed in churches where parishioners deposited coins for the poor were opened and the contents distributed on December 26, which is also the Feast ofSt. Stephen.
As time went by, Boxing Day gift giving expanded to include those who had rendered a service during the previous year. This tradition survives today as people give presents to tradesmen, mail carriers, doormen, porters, and others who have helped them.
The Day after Christmas
节礼日是12月26日,圣诞节后的那一天, and is celebrated in Great Britain and in most areas settled by the English (the U.S. is the major exception), including Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.
Bank Holidays
Boxing Day is just one of the Britishbank holidaysrecognized since 1871 that are observed by banks, government offices, and the post office. The others include Christmas, Good Friday, Easter, Whitmonday (the day afterPentecost), and the banking holiday on the last Monday in August.
St. Stephen's Martyrdom
The Feast of St. Stephen also takes place on December 26. St. Stephen was one of the seven original deacons of the Christian Church who were ordained by the Apostles to care for widows and the poor. For the success of his preaching and his devotion to Christ, St. Stephen was stoned to death by a mob. As he died, he begged God not to punish his killers.
- More fromWinter Holiday Roundup
