Uduegbunam ChukwujamaEver wondered why the day after Christmas is simply referred to as ‘Boxing Day’? There is a lot to a name; It doesn’t necessarily come from the blues – because there’s always the ‘why’.
Well, here are some quick facts about Boxing Day, the day which normally follows Christmas, and on which all workers enjoy a perfect holiday.
First, the Day has nothing to do with the sport of boxing; It was first ‘invented’ in the 1800s during the reign of Queen Victoria.
It is symbolic with the English ancient practice of the rich boxing gifts for the poor; so, it is all about gifts.
Traditionally, Boxing Day was a day off for servants, a day they were meant to receive special gift boxes from their masters. The servants were then expected to go home on the day and present Christmas Boxes to their families.
The day also had some religious connections with the celebration of St Stephen Day in Ireland and Catalonia region of Spain.
European countries like Hungary, Poland, Germany and the Netherlands also celebrate Boxing Day as the second Day of Christmas.
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The Church Connection
Churches in Europe also played a critical role in the creation and popularisation of Boxing Day as they would collect money from churchgoers in the form of collection and hand it out in boxes during Christmas. They stored the collections in a box, opened the box during Christmas and hand the money to members.
The boxes are no longer popular today..
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