Boxing Day is a secular holiday celebrated the day after Christmas Day. It originated in the United Kingdom, and is celebrated in a number of countries that previously formed part of the British Empire.
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| Boxing Day History |
Boxing Day is on 26 December, although the attached bank holiday or public holiday may take place either on that day or two days later.
In some European countries, such as Romania, Hungary, Germany, Poland, the Netherlands, and Scandinavia, 26 December is celebrated as a Second Christmas Day.
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| Oxford Street Shopping |
In the liturgical calendar of Western Christianity, Boxing Day is the second day of Christmastide, and also Saint Stephen's Day.
There are competing theories for the origins of the term, none of which are definitive.
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| Saint Stephen, Christianity's first martyr |
Falling on Saint Stephen’s Day, history suggests that the day got its name from the tradition of churches collecting donations in boxes for the poor after Christmas during the Victorian era.
The day also seems to have its roots in the tradition of servants being given a day off to celebrate with family after Christmas Day, where they would often be gifted a box of gifts or with a holiday bonus.
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| ‘A Christmas Carol’ by Charles Dickens |
Another popular theory is that the Boxing Day name comes from the alms boxes that were placed in churches during the Advent season for the collection of monetary donations from parishioners.
Until the ban came into force in 2005, fox hunting was synonymous with December 26 for some, and people still continue the tradition to this day by having drag hunts, in which dogs follow a scent pre-laid by organisers.
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| Fox Hunting Tradition |
When it comes to sport, the day is now more widely associated with a full day of football fixtures. Since Christmas Day football was abandoned due to dwindling numbers after 1958, Boxing Day has become the football family day out over the festive season and proves extremely popular.
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| Westfield Shopping Center |
After the 2008 recession, Boxing Day shopping has become a staple of the Christmas holidays, with the sales beginning on December 26 and continuing into the New Year.
Whatever your tradition or preference - Happy Boxing Day!
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| Somerset House is one of the ice rinks open on Boxing Day |
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