Boxing Day – December the 26th

Christmas is the glorious time of the year that spreads love all around. People of all ages wait for Christmas all year long. Christmas holidays are a great time to socialize with your family and friends. But this is not all what Christmas is so special about.

Christmas also invokes feelings of well-being and love for fellow humans. It gives us the perfect opportunity to help the less fortunate. This momentous time of the year gives parents the time to teach their children to give and share with others.

Boxing Day / St Stephen's day

Every year on the 26th of December is the Boxing Day, a day when the affluent people give gifts to the people of the lower classes. It is called Boxing Day because traditionally, gifts of food, clothing, cash and other goods were given in boxes on this day. The gifts are handed to the people who needed them.

Boxing Day began in the mid 19th century in England during the rule of Queen Victoria. It was a day to honour and thank the lower community for their help and effort all year long. Maids, drivers, postmen and other service renderers were thanked with gifts. This is a great day for parents to teach their kids to contribute towards the well being of the society.

Boxing Day is also known as St. Stephen’s Day. Saint Stephen was the first Christian martyr stoned to death in Jerusalem for his devotion to Christ. He begged God to forgive his killers. Feast of St Stephen also takes place on this day.

Boxing Day is a public holiday in the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Hong Kong, and other Commonwealth nations with Christian population. The day is also known as Day of Goodwill in South Africa.

In America, the 26th of December is the Shopping Day. Shops are opened very early in the morning, and the day has grown famous for earning large revenues for shop keepers. The American alternative to the Boxing Day is the Black Friday, which comes right after Thanksgiving.

Boxing Day Gifts:

Your family should also involve in the customary gift-giving ceremony which is held on this day. Find out some less fortunate people around you who are really in need of help. Tell your kids how happy Santa would be if they spared some of their gifts for other children. You could also help some organization that seeks to look after the poor.

Besides family, it’s also a great idea to bring your friends into this. Ask them to spare a few things. They’ll be more than willing to help you.

Boxing Day Party:

With the Christmas barely one day old, it is unbearable if you don’t celebrate this day and gather around for a nice party. You could make it pretty simple actually. There’s going to be a lot of food left from the previous day. You could ask your friends and family to help you finish it. Perhaps your friends would also have a lot of food to bring with them. Like every other party, there should be drinks, and food and a lot of fun.