Could We Please Stop With The Boxing Day Jokes?

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
1

I know my family’s been in the States for nearly 40 years, but Mum enjoys hosting a Boxing Day brunch. I generally spend Christmas and Boxing Day with them and use the brunch as an excuse to get together with my best friend whose in town visiting her relatives. It’s Boxing Day. the day after Christmas. I realize most Americans haven’t heard of it, but it’s a nice excuse to get together with friends and it lets me reserve Christmas Day for spending time with my family with no rushing about visiting people.

Here’s my complaint. Far too many people I know, including my best friend’s husband, who I’ve known for over 20 years make the same, dumb jokes every year about Boxing Day. I love him dearly, and I know how much he loves her, but the jokes about boxing, wrestling, and other sports, not to mention the refences to boxing gloves. My gentleman friend, who I love dearly, has been known to do the same thing, as do coworkers, etc. I’ve been hearing these jokes since I was a kid and it’s getting old. It’s a nice holiday, ok? It beats braving the crowds at the shopping mall or, worse, being the clerk facing the crowds at the shopping mall which I’ve had to do a few times. I spent Monday afternoon enjoying good conversation and the company of good friends as did my parents. I spent Monday evening enjoying the company of another couple of good friends. I got to exchange boxes containing presents with an old friend who I don’t get to see that often since we live 200 miles apart. No gloves, no sports, etc. were involved.

I know my best friend’s husband and my gentleman friend don’t mean any harm and they’re just trying to be funny, but, as I pointed out to the gentleman, there are times when it goes on so long it feels like it’s straying over the line into “making fun of the foreigner” and I had my fill of that when I was a kid. Do I really have to explain what Boxing Day is every year, even to a man I’ve known for over 20 years? Do I really have to put up with the same, stale jokes and feel like a very pleasant day is being mocked as a quaint, English custom?

Oh, I know you folks. I realize I’ve opened myself up to a whole slew of bad tp atrocious jokes, and I’m looking forward to the funny ones. On the other hand, could some of you please spare just a little sympathy? Pretty please? I’ll settle for good ideas for similar jokes I can make about an American holiday. Groundhog Day and Flag Day come to mind, but I’m sure the wits of the SDMB can do better, as might some of the half-wits!

CJ

2

No offense and all that, but… a few oddball jokes about an (for Americans) obscure holiday upset you so much, you started this thread?

I think your friend is just being goofy. What’s the harm? Turnabout is fair play, mock him for his stupid Squirrel Worship Day or whatever the hell those Yankees call it.

3

Boxing Day is a Kiwi and Aussie holiday as well, Siege. They’d have to take us on, too.

We tend not to care at the silly jokes, though, while we’re having the day’s break and watching the telly.

4

I think it’s not so much the jokes as it is I’ve been hearing the same jokes from this guy since I moved back to town 10 years ago. In some ways, I guess it’s comparable to asking a tall person “How’s the weather up there?” Maybe what I’m really wishing is that he’d get some new material and not respond to “Merry Christmas” of “Happy Boxing Day” with a comment about boxing gloves?

CJ

5

CJ,

Tell him that if he doesn’t stop, he’s going to see the Boxer Rebellion! Make it a joke, but at the same time let him know that there’s a little truth behind the joke.

I’m a 'Meriken, but I love the idea of Boxing Day, and I wish we had it here!

6

I had absolutely no idea that Americans don’t have Boxing Day!
Does that mean that only the 25th is a stat holiday there?

Wow, the things I learn on this site.

7

So… what class are you in? Heavyweight? Welterweight? Flyweight?

:smiley:

8

TYpically, yes. Although since Christmas fell on Sunday this year, the holiday was “observed” on Monday/Boxing Day.

Siege, one thing to hope for is that with its increased popularity, people will now be making Ultimate Fighting Day jokes. Seriously – my last name is one letter off from a well-known Jewish holiday, so I know exactly what you’re going through, except that you only have to worry about the jokes one day a year and I get them all the time. I’ve dealt with it by rolling my eyes and sucking it up. C’est la vie.

–Cliffy

9

Is it my imagination or did there used to be an old tradition on Boxing Day of Master and Staff swapping places? Or is that something the writers of MAS*H made up to create a story situation?

10

Nope, sorry. It has a funny name, so jokes are mandatory. :stuck_out_tongue:

Well, fair is fair. Don’t forget to make fun of “Presidents’ Day”, too! :slight_smile:

11

your last name is Yom Ha Atzmoy? ;j :smiley:

12

Wow! Your last name is Ganukah?

13

I was thinking Assover. :wink:

Seige, why not change things up next year and have Kick Boxing Day? One thing for sure, if I ever make to that side of the world, I’ll make sure to drop in on you guys on December 26th. It might be Rocky at first, and you no doubt be a Raging Bull as I wouldn’t be able to not make jokes, but in the end everything would be all Sugar Ray and sweetness, as I am such a knockout personality.

14

Set up one of those boxing gloves-on-springs, so when he wlks through the door - KAPOW! “Welcome, and thanks for visiting on Boxing Day!”

15

Now that’s funny!

16

I see your point and promise to try to never make a Boxing day joke again.

17

To be fair, wasn’t this fully anticipated when the first person came up with “boxing day”? What type of people come up with the name “boxing day” and just walk away like everything like everything is normal?

18

i kinda really would like an answer…

19

Head to Buffalo, and you’ll find everybody has heard of Boxing Day. It’s not an official holiday, but Canadian retail chains buy millions of dollars of advertising time from television stations south of the border, to air Boxing Day ads. I think Channel 29 (WUTV, the Buffalo-area Fox affiliate) would go bankrupt if it weren’t for The Brick and Canadian Tire.

Nobody in Buffalo actually calls December 26th Boxing Day. They just think of it as quirky Canadiana, like curling and liquid milk in bags.

20

I thought it was the day when you boxed up stuff that you didn’t want or need anymore and inflicted it upon the poor.

Tell your friend it’s the official day for thinking outside the box.

Or you could just box his ears…