Happy boxing day
If you are reading this blog on the day it was posted – December 26 – it is “Boxing Day.” Boxing Day, a public holiday in Great Britain and some other predominately English-speaking countries, has been celebrated for centuries. Its origin is not fully clear, but the two theories are:
Servants and tradespeople required to work on Christmas Day were given December 26 off. They were given gifts – AKA, boxes – from their employers on that day.
Donations given to the poor in alms boxes were distributed on this day. This theory links Boxing Day to the Feast of St. Stephen, which is also December 26. St. Stephen was the first Christian martyr. (Look up the words to the Christmas song, “Good King Wenceslas.” It takes place on the Feast of Stephen.)
Either way, Boxing Day has become best known as a shopping day, akin to our Black Friday. An estimated £3.73 billion (British pounds) will be spent in Great Britain today, up 1.3% over the prior year. Their shopping frenzy will continue throughout the weekend, with a total of £13.7 billion spent between December 25 and 31.
That’s a lot of boxes.