# Boxing Day
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boxing-day/605351
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
**Created:** [December 7, 2011, 5:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boxing-day/605351 "2011-12-07T05:10:51Z")
**Posts on this page:** 16
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Hilary\_Algar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hilary_Algar)
#### Post date: [December 7, 2011, 5:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boxing-day/605351/1 "2011-12-07T05:10:51Z")
Boxing Day (December 26th)
> **[Boxing Day](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boxing_Day)**
>
> Boxing Day is a holiday celebrated after Christmas Day, occurring on the second day of Christmastide (26 December). Though it originated as a holiday to give gifts to poor people, today, Boxing Day forms part of Christmas celebrations, with many people choosing to take advantage of Boxing Day sales. It originated in Great Britain and is celebrated in several countries that previously formed part of the British Empire. The attached bank holiday or public holiday may take place on 28 December ...
will also be a US holiday for many this year because Christmas falls on a Sunday.
What will you be doing on Boxing Day this year?
What do you usually do on Boxing Day?
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### Author:  [@Pai325](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pai325)
#### Post date: [December 7, 2011, 5:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boxing-day/605351/2 "2011-12-07T05:46:55Z")
I usually tell my daughter “Happy Boxing Day!” and she says the same thing back. Then, since no one else we know has any idea it’s Boxing Day, we go about our business.
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### Author:  [@Giles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giles)
#### Post date: [December 7, 2011, 5:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boxing-day/605351/3 "2011-12-07T05:56:53Z")
I expect I’ll be doing what I usually do on Boxing Day: eat the left-overs from the day before.
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### Author:  [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)
#### Post date: [December 7, 2011, 6:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boxing-day/605351/4 "2011-12-07T06:06:08Z")
Here in Canada, we get a four day weekend: Saturday and Sunday are stat holidays, so Christmas since is on a holiday, the stat holiday for Christmas gets bumped to Monday, in turn bumping the stat holiday for Boxing Day onto Tuesday. Then we get a three day weekend the next weekend, as the stat holiday for New Year’s Day gets bumped to the Monday as well.
It means a lot of sitting around and eating turkey, but I imagine on Boxing Day we’ll be taking the Cub tobogganing, if the weather isn’t too cold.
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### Author:  [@Giles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giles)
#### Post date: [December 7, 2011, 6:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boxing-day/605351/5 "2011-12-07T06:32:20Z")
The holiday situation in Australia is similar to that in Canada, i.e., usually a 4-day weekend for Christmas and a 3-day weekend for New Years Day. However, in South Australia they get another day in between: [Proclamation Day](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Proclamation_Day), celebrated on December 28th. (Obviously John Hindmarsh couldn’t think of anything better to do between Christmas 1836 and New Year 1837, so he filled in the time by proclaiming SA as a British colony.) In most of Australia, a lot of businesses just close down between Christmas and New Year – often requiring employees to take 3 days of their annual leave then – on the grounds that not much work will get done then anyway.
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### Author:  [@jabiru](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jabiru)
#### Post date: [December 7, 2011, 6:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boxing-day/605351/6 "2011-12-07T06:38:50Z")
I’ll be working this year on Boxing Day but, in years past when I’ve been off, it’s always been a mega relaxing day, reading the book which Santa brought, eating leftovers and generally taking it easy.
When I was younger, it was always a day to go to the beach but I’ve grown less fond of crowds as I’ve got older so I no longer do that.
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### Author:  [@JThunder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JThunder)
#### Post date: [December 7, 2011, 6:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boxing-day/605351/7 "2011-12-07T06:48:00Z")
I’ll be practicing Muay Thai. Think of it as Kickboxing Day.
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### Author:  [@dwyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dwyr)
#### Post date: [December 7, 2011, 6:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boxing-day/605351/8 "2011-12-07T06:48:28Z")
I’ll be working. I’m lucky to get Christmas Day off.
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### Author:  [@guizot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/guizot)
#### Post date: [December 7, 2011, 7:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boxing-day/605351/9 "2011-12-07T07:00:47Z")
> [@Hilary\_Algar](#):
>
> What do you usually do on Boxing Day?
In grade school I convinced most of my friends that it was the day in Britain that everyone got off to watch the most important boxing match of the year. (Kind of like Superbowl Sunday.) Then the next day I’d tell them the “results.” I did it so much that I kind of believed it myself, after a point, so even now, I always feel a little like I should be talking about pugilism on Dec. 26.
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### Author:  [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)
#### Post date: [December 7, 2011, 12:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boxing-day/605351/10 "2011-12-07T12:53:24Z")
Our daughter is flying home late Christmas day, so we’re opening all our presents right after the [Junkanoo](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Junkanoo).
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### Author:  [@Filbert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Filbert)
#### Post date: [December 7, 2011, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boxing-day/605351/11 "2011-12-07T13:31:12Z")
> [@guizot](#):
>
> In grade school I convinced most of my friends that it was the day in Britain that everyone got off to watch the most important boxing match of the year. (Kind of like Superbowl Sunday.) Then the next day I’d tell them the “results.” I did it so much that I kind of believed it myself, after a point, so even now, I always feel a little like I should be talking about pugilism on Dec. 26.
I’ve been trying to convince people it’s called that because it’s terribly offensive to fight on Christmas day, because it’s a religious holiday; but you’re forced to spend the day with annoying relatives. So, if someone annoys you- challenge them to fight the following day. Traditionally in the village square. 😃
I live in England, so I’ll be doing the same as every year- basically a second Christmas at my Aunt’s house. No-one here ever seems to know why it’s called that either, by the way..
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### Author:  [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)
#### Post date: [December 7, 2011, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boxing-day/605351/12 "2011-12-07T14:26:11Z")
I’ll be wishing everyone in my family a Happy Boxing Day, and they’ll look at me as if I have lobsters crawling out of my ears, and ONCE AGAIN I’ll have to explain it to them.
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### Author:  [@elbows](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elbows)
#### Post date: [December 7, 2011, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boxing-day/605351/13 "2011-12-07T14:33:48Z")
All that chocolate’s not going to eat itself! And some one has to play with all the new stuff. Surely there are things to assemble, and sports on tv. Any newly acquired snow toys must be immediately utilized, skis, sleds, toboggans, mittens, scarves, hats, etc! It’s very relaxing, as there is no need to cook anyone meals, everybody gets to just graze the leftovers, pretty much continuously.
(I’m in Canada, too, so Boxing Day is standard for us.)
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### Author:  [@Moonlitherial](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moonlitherial)
#### Post date: [December 7, 2011, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boxing-day/605351/14 "2011-12-07T15:01:23Z")
Kids are heading to their dad’s house late on Christmas day so they can do the whole thing over again there for Boxing day. As a result I shall spend the day lounging in comfy clothes, stuffing myself with turkey and all the trimmings (Since the kids are going to their dad’s from here I won’t be sending leftovers home) and probably making turkey soup.
As for the etymology of Boxing Day, here is Wikipedia’s version with basically matches with my memory:
> [@](#):
>
> The exact etymology of the term “boxing” is unclear and there are several competing theories, none of which is definitive.[3] The tradition has long included giving money and other gifts to those who were needy and in service positions. The European tradition has been dated to the Middle Ages, but the exact origin is unknown and there are some claims that it goes back to the late Roman/early Christian era; metal boxes placed outside churches were used to collect special offerings tied to the Feast of Saint Stephen.[4]
>
> In the UK, it was a custom for tradesmen to collect “Christmas boxes” of money or presents on the first weekday after Christmas as thanks for good service throughout the year.[5] This is mentioned in Samuel Pepys’ diary entry for 19 December 1663;[6] This custom is linked to an older English tradition: in exchange for ensuring that wealthy landowners’ Christmases ran smoothly, their servants were allowed to take the 26th off to visit their families. The employers gave each servant a box containing gifts and bonuses (and sometimes leftover food).
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### Author:  [@SciFiSam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SciFiSam)
#### Post date: [December 8, 2011, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boxing-day/605351/15 "2011-12-08T01:49:05Z")
As a kid, it was second Christmas. This is very handy for people with multiple families - which parents shall we visit this year? My Dad, your Dad, my step-Mum, your step-Mum, and when shall my kid from a previous marriage visit? Public transport runs on a limited schedule on Boxing Day (there’s none on Christmas Day), which helps.
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### Author:  [@An\_Gadai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Gadai)
#### Post date: [December 8, 2011, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boxing-day/605351/16 "2011-12-08T02:03:14Z")
On St. Stephen’s Day (what Boxing Day is typically called in Ireland) my family eschew meat, I think as a balance with the gluttony of the previous day. However, either that day or the following we tend to go out drinking like it’s gone out of fashion.