About Boxing Day (26th Of December)

We all have various traditions associated with our Indian festivals, which can extend for days. We celebrate Diwali for five days, where schools remain shut for a week or two, or Dussehra, which spans a full 10 days, and here too, students in various parts of the country get a week off. Which brings us to ‘Boxing Day’, a holiday which is rooted in the traditions of people across Great Britain and some Commonwealth nations such as Australia, New Zealand and Hong Kong (even though it was transferred to the Chinese administration from the British in 1997). It’s a day that may not have any religious significance, however has great cultural value. The day is celebrated next to the Christmas day, that is, the 26^th of December, and is generally a public holiday for all the nations observing it. Even though it is generally celebrated on 26^th, some countries may observe it a day later.

The origins of the term can be found in the Oxford Dictionary, which relates to the day after Christmas when social servants such as postmen, security guards usually expected some kind of Christmas gift, and this term can be traced as far back as the 17^th century. This is a similar occurrence in our country where societies are expected to offer some cash incentives to workers such as sweepers, plumbers and delivery guys (unfortunately, there’s no day dedicated to this). According to a 17^th century British Member of Parliament Samuel Pepys, the day was customary for people involved in various trades to expect ‘Christmas boxes’ as a token of appreciation for their service from their superiors. There are also references to the ancient Roman era, where metallic boxes would be kept outside churches as part of the Saint Stephen’s Day, which is celebrated on the 26^th of December.

The U.K. observes Boxing Day as a bank holiday, with the day given off compulsorily on a weekday, while Australia celebrates this day in all of its regions except South Australia, where ‘Proclamation Day’ is celebrated instead. Boxing Day has a great impact on the culture and traditions of the regions where it is followed. Much like the U.S. that celebrates ‘Black Friday’, a day that falls after Thanksgiving day, people in the U.K., Canada, Australia and New Zealand regard Boxing day as a shopping holiday, with people forming queues outside stores and malls early in the morning to take advantage of huge discounts and blockbuster deals.

In terms of sports too, this day has great significance, with major matches across sports such as football, rugby and cricket taking place on this day. The English Premier League holds a majority of its matches on this day, starting their famous cramped Christmas-New Year schedule, while Australia holds Boxing Day test matches at the famed MCG (image below), which are always full house. Besides this, important events such as horse racing in England, as well as ice hockey in Europe take place around this day.

Boxing Day is steeped in culture and tradition, and an important day in commonwealth nations. More than a holiday, this day is really about generosity and helping, with a fair amount of fun thrown in!