All You Need To Know About ‘Boxing Day’
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Today the world is celebrating Boxing Day and 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. So why it is celebrated?
The origin of boxing day
The exact origin of Boxing Day is not definitively known. But one theory suggests that it began because servants were required to work on Christmas Day, so they took the next day off and were given gifts (“Christmas boxes”) by their employers as they left to visit their families and others point to the charity boxes placed outside of churches to collect money for the poor. Priests also placed Christmas boxes on ships. Crewmen would drop money in it to ensure a safe return. If the ship returned safely, the money would be distributed to the poor.
Same day with different names
The day is known by different names in various countries: South Africa calls it the Day of Goodwill; Italy, Finland, and Alsace and Moselle in France have named it St. Stephen’s Day; in Ireland, it is called Day of the Wren, or Wren’s Day, or St. Stephen’s Day; and in Poland, Germany, Scandinavia, the Netherlands and Belgium, people refer to it as the Second Christmas Day. (Pictured) St. Stephen’s Day in Czech Republic.
Which countries observe Boxing Day?
Boxing Day is celebrated in many Commonwealth countries and former British dominions including Hong Kong, Australia, Canada, Belize, Jamaica, South Africa and Uganda. Some European countries such as Germany, Poland, Scandinavia and the Netherlands call Dec. 26 “Second Christmas Day,” where the holiday is extended for another day.
Boxing Day Test Match
Melbourne hosts the Boxing Day Test Match every year, when the Australian cricket team plays against another national team. It is played at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. Every four years, the Boxing Day test becomes a part of the Ashes series with England. This year the match is going to be between Australia and Pakistan.
Bank Holidays
Boxing Day is just one of the British bank holidays recognized since 1871 that are observed by banks, government offices, and the post office. The others include Christmas, Good Friday, Easter, Whitmonday (the day after Pentecost), and the banking holiday on the last Monday in August.
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