Boxing Day: A holiday deeply rooted in generosity

So, Christmas day has passed and the hustle and bustle of excited children has begun to subside, and, in many households, parents are preparing cold turkey and pickles for the traditional Boxing Day lunch. A public bank holiday in the UK, and in several other Commonwealth countries, for many people, Boxing Day means one thing - the chance to unwind and relax after eating and drinking far too much the previous day. For those who have received monetary gifts, the day after Christmas is the perfect time to head to the shopping centres for the Boxing Day sales. People queue from the early hours to take advantage of dramatic price reductions, making it one of the days of the year with the greatest revenue for many retailers.

There are many theories concerning how the second day of Christmastide became known as ‘Boxing Day’, but contrary to what many children have been led to believe over the years, it has nothing to do with the packing up of the previous day’s torn open gift boxes. It also has nothing to do with the sport of boxing, at least, not in the UK: coincidentally, in some African Commonwealth countries, professional boxing competitions are held on the 26 December, but these have nothing to do with the origins of Boxing Day.

There are numerous theories as to the origins of the term, none of which are definitive, although one of the accepted beliefs is that it has everything to do with the Victorians - its roots deeply embedded in charity and generosity. Some historians claim the name comes from Queen Victoria’s reign, when the rich would box up gifts to give to the poor. It was also a tradition for wealthy households to give their servants this day off. The custom derives from an old British practice in which household servants were permitted to spend the day after Christmas, sometimes known as ‘offering day’, with their families, having fulfilled their duties to their employers on Christmas Day itself.

The Oxford English Dictionary, on the other hand, cites 1743 as the earliest recorded use of the term in Britain.

Samuel Pepys noted in his diary in December 1663 that in Britain, the tradition of giving Christmas boxes involved presenting workers with money or presents on the first weekday after Christmas as a token of appreciation for their yearly service. Employers would provide each servant with a box to take home, containing gifts, bonuses and, occasionally, leftover food.

However, the tradition of giving money and other gifts to those in need, or in service positions, is believed by others to go back to the Middle Ages. Some believe it may refer to the offertory boxes placed in Christian churches to collect coins for the needy.

Before it was designated a public holiday in the UK in 1871, Boxing Day was more commonly known as St Stephen’s Day - a name it still bears in many parts of Europe today.

Saint Stephen was a Christian deacon in the early church at Jerusalem who is believed to have been the first Christian martyr. Accused of blasphemy after denouncing the Jewish authorities who were sitting in judgment on him, he was stoned to death in AD34. Along with being the patron of deacons, ironically, St Stephen is also the patron of bricklayers and stonemasons.

Somewhat confusingly, a separate St Stephen’s Day exists, entirely unrelated to the one formally recognised on 26 December. St Stephen of Hungary, celebrated on 20 August each year, was the first king of Hungary, renowned for converting the Magyar people to Christianity.

In the UK, St Stephen is more widely recognised as the feast referred to in the carol Good King Wenceslas.

In Ireland, Boxing Day is sometimes known as Wren Day, which comes from an old tradition in which children killed a wren in order to sell its feathers, which were thought to bring good luck.

The holiday holds particular importance in Catalonia, where it is a public holiday and a key part of the Christmas season. St Stephen’s association with the region dates back to the 9th century (linked to the Carolingian period) and over time, 26 December became firmly established as a feast day in his honour. Beyond its religious roots, the day also has a strong social significance, traditionally serving as an occasion for families to gather and continue celebrating Christmas.