What Is Boxing Day And How Is It Celebrated?

by | Last updated on January 24, 2024

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Boxing Day was

traditionally a day off for servants

, and the day when they received a special Christmas box from their masters. The servants would also go home on Boxing Day to give Christmas boxes to their families.

What is Boxing Day in Australia?

Boxing Day is

a public in Australia

, falling on December 26, the day after Christmas. It originated in the UK and is celebrated around the world. … Other say the name comes from the practice during which wealthy European families would gift their staff boxes filled with Christmas treats following Christmas Day.

Where do they celebrate Boxing Day?

Boxing Day, in Great Britain and some Commonwealth countries, particularly

Australia, Canada, and New Zealand

, holiday (December 26) on which servants, tradespeople, and the poor traditionally were presented with gifts. By the 21st century it had become a day associated with shopping and sporting events.

How do you observe Boxing Day?

The traditional way to celebrate Boxing Day is

to be charitable in giving to the less fortunate

or to use our time to volunteer in the same manner. But, for millions around the Commonwealth, the day has become more like American Thanksgiving, in that it's a day for watching sports and food.

When was Boxing Day invented?

How Boxing Day is celebrated. Since

1871

, Boxing Day has been an official bank holiday in the United Kingdom, which moves the holiday to Monday if it falls on a weekend to give people more time off.

What food do you eat on Boxing Day?

  • Posh sausage roll. Everyone loves a good old sausage roll. …
  • Boxing Day toastie. …
  • Turkey and ham raised pie. …
  • Fig and goat's cheese puffs. …
  • Sausage twist. …
  • Boxing Day cheeseboard. …
  • Baileys tiramisu. …
  • Posh yule log.

Does Australia have 2 Christmases?

But did you know that we Australians celebrate Christmas in July? It's pretty confusing if you really think about it, but Australians

get to celebrate Christmas twice a year

. Once on the traditional December 25

th ,

and then once again in July.

What do Aussies do on Boxing Day?

In some parts of Australia,

the post-Christmas sales begin

on Boxing Day. Stores offer their excess stock that was not sold before Christmas Day at reduced prices. Many people take advantage of the sales to buy products or services at significantly lower prices.

What do Australia eat on Christmas Day?

  • Ham and turkey…but cold.
  • BBQ. …
  • Alcohol. …
  • Potato bake. …
  • Fruit, especially cherries. …
  • Trifle. …
  • Christmas pudding. …
  • Pavlova. The Russell Crowe of desserts, the origin of this delicacy has been long-disputed between Aussies and Kiwis. …

Is Boxing Day a public holiday 2020?


Bank Holiday is not a declared public holiday

.

The public holiday standard in the Act provides that when New Year's Day, Christmas Day or Boxing Day falls on a Saturday or Sunday there is to be an additional public holiday on the following Monday or Tuesday.

Is Boxing Day a religious holiday?


Boxing Day is even a bank holiday in the UK

, and has been since 1871. … In other countries the day is still a holiday from work but it has a more religious significance – with Romania, Hungary, Germany, Poland, the Netherlands, Czech Republic and Scandinavia marking it as a second Christmas Day.

Why is Boxing Day a holiday?

Boxing Day is a day after Christmas Day. It is called “Boxing Day”

because – starting in medieval Britain – servants had a day off and would receive a gift box on this day.

Where did the name Boxing Day come from?

The name comes from

a time when the rich used to box up gifts to give to the poor

. Boxing Day was traditionally a day off for servants, and the day when they received a special Christmas box from their masters. The servants would also go home on Boxing Day to give Christmas boxes to their families.

What is Boxing Day in USA?

Boxing Day is

a holiday celebrated the day after Christmas Day

, occurring on the second day of Christmastide. Though it originated as a holiday to give gifts to the poor, today Boxing Day is primarily known as a shopping holiday.

Why is it called a Boxing Day Test match?

The Test match that starts on December 26, primarily at Australia's Melbourne Cricket Ground, is called the Boxing Day Test. According to a theory, December 26 came to be known as

the Boxing Day as the servants in Victorian-era England were given boxes of gifts a day after Christmas.

What do British eat on Boxing Day?

On Boxing Day most families in Britain begin to use up the

left-over turkey

from Christmas Day. There is usually an enormous joint of gammon ham or roast beef still around from Christmas Eve as well. So, COLD CUTS (or ‘leftovers' in American parlance) becomes traditional Boxing Day fare.

Maria Kunar
Author
Maria Kunar
Maria is a cultural enthusiast and expert on holiday traditions. With a focus on the cultural significance of celebrations, Maria has written several blogs on the history of holidays and has been featured in various cultural publications. Maria's knowledge of traditions will help you appreciate the meaning behind celebrations.