Boxing Day?

[himzol]

For many years I have just accepted that Boxing day is the day after Chrismas day. Besides the obvious - Melbourne Test match and the Sydney to Hobart, What does Boxing day actually represent? :confused:

Himzo.

[HappyHammer]

Who cares as long as we get a day off.

HH.

[DaveInOz]

It is a strange chioce of name - especially when all the fighting happens on christmas day!

Maybe its to celebrate half the family moving out because the other half won't tell ****** uncle X to get off the roof, and anyway what was she doing bringing a pav, she knows my sister always brings one, plus ..........

[Alastair]

FWIW

I once read that it comes from the clearing up or "boxing" of the rubbish and leftovers after the Yuletide feasting

[RETIRED]

Boxing Day
In England a long time ago…

Servants were required to work on Christmas. They were responsible for making the holiday run smoothly for wealthy landowners. They were allowed to take leave on December 26th and visit their families. The employers gave each servant a box containing gifts and bonuses. In addition, around the 800s' churches opened their alms boxes (boxes where people place monetary donations) and distributed the contents to poor.

In England today…

Few people have servants but the custom of giving gifts or money to those who provide service continues. It is also popular to visit grandparents and shop (the after Christmas discounts begin). Many people get the day off from work. Watching sports especially horse races is also a popular activity. Boxing Day is also celebrated in places where the English have settled or have influence like Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and Scotland. Some places observe Boxing Day on December 26th and some celebrate it on the first weekday following Christmas, so, if Christmas falls on Friday or Saturday Boxing Day would be on the following Monday.

Now, the actual origin of this holiday is debatable and has been debated, one idea being more popular than the other at a given time.

St. Stephen's Day is also celebrated on December 26th. Stephen one of Jesus' disciples. Shortly after Jesus' crucifixion he was accused of preaching blasphemy and he was stoned to death becoming the first Christian martyr. The Song "Good King Wenceslas" speaks of Stephen.

"...when Good King Wenceslas looked out,
on the Feast of Stephen...."

Celebrate Boxing Day with cream teas, high teas, English food and crafts.

One explanation I found.

http://www.snopes.com/holidays/christmas/boxing.asp goes into more depth for them that are interested.

[himzol]

Thanks .

H.

[Iain]

I recall the churches in the UK distributing the contents of the boxes on 26 December, like quoted.

[bitingmidge]

is of course perfectly correct, and if I were Ralph he would win today's quiz!!

But I'm not, and in the spirit of creating a new Australian heritage, would it be possible right here on the internet, to have Boxing Day renamed in this country to Pillow Fighting Day?

We would always defer to it's origins of course out of respect to the Mother Country and her history, but we would have our very own cause for celebration at the same time!

Pillow Fighting Day.

Has a certain ring to it don't you think??

P

[outback]

In addition, around the 800s' churches opened their alms boxes (boxes where people place monetary donations) and distributed the contents to poor.

I recall the churches in the UK distributing the contents of the boxes on 26 December, like quoted.

Geez you must be old.

[craigb]

We would always defer to it's origins of course out of respect to the Mother Country and her history, but we would have our very own cause for celebration at the same time!

How about an exchange of cricket boxes in front of the TV in the 1/2 hour before the Melbourne Test starts ?

[Christopha]

In our tribe its' called "boxing day" cos it's the day when Margy belts the crap outa me for being a total arrsole for the rest of the year and for trying to pash the next door neighbour Chrissy eve and for peeing on her roses Chrissy morning and for getting the wrong size prezzy for her AGAIN and for kicking the dog and for just bloody well being me!

[jackiew]

Its also traditional to give a christmas box to the postman, dustman etc. Though the advent of wheelie bins etc rather than dustmen who actually do some real work means that I probably wouldn't bother any more if I was still living in the UK ( plus they are less likely to empty your wheelie bin over your lawn for non payment than the old style bins).

British Postmen and women are probably more deserving of the present - six years ago the lady that delivered my mail twice a day was still slogging around town on a bicycle with no gears in all weathers. But again I'd only bother if it was the same person delivering my mail on a regular basis and they weren't doing what the postman here seems to do which is shove several houses worth of mail in one mailbox and let us do the running round delivering it

[craigb]

Its also traditional to give a christmas box to the postman, dustman etc. Though the advent of wheelie bins etc rather than dustmen who actually do some real work means that I probably wouldn't bother any more if I was still living in the UK ( plus they are less likely to empty your wheelie bin over your lawn for non payment than the old style bins).

British Postmen and women are probably more deserving of the present - six years ago the lady that delivered my mail twice a day was still slogging around town on a bicycle with no gears in all weathers. But again I'd only bother if it was the same person delivering my mail on a regular basis and they weren't doing what the postman here seems to do which is shove several houses worth of mail in one mailbox and let us do the running round delivering it

A typical Jackie post.
Merry Christmas lass.

[HappyHammer]

How about an exchange of cricket boxes in front of the TV in the 1/2 hour before the Melbourne Test starts ?

An interesting fetish you have there Craig, might be a bit wiffy depending on who you're swapping with ...watch out for anything that runs sideways:eek:

HH.

[Iain]

Geez you must be old.

Naa, just feel it sometimes, and for Jackiew, those bikes without gears, my Father had one when he was a copper in Norfolk, used to put in a few miles too.
They took it off him and sent it to Aus where they used it as the Sydney Harbour Bridge, big heavy thing it was too.