Boxing Day

Boxing Day is celebrated on December 26 each year. Here is a few countries that celebrate it: Australia, Britain, New Zealand, and Canada. This holiday started in the nineteenth century in Britain while Queen Victoria was reigning. The name Boxing Day comes from the tradesmen who went out to get their Christmas boxes. The boxes were given the day after Christmas and were for their hard work and trustworthiness throughout the year. On this day, people celebrate by eating the leftovers from Christmas day in a sandwich or in a dinner with roast potatoes, vegetables, and much more. My Nana would give salt beef for dinner to her family on Boxing Day. This beef would have to be ordered in. Usually people will give money or something to charities, people who need it, or those who have been in service jobs.

No one is for sure when Boxing Day actually started but some think that it could have started in the Middle Ages (A.D. 400's-1500's), or in England when the lords and ladies gave presents in boxes to their servants. They have also thought it might have started with the priests who opened their charity boxes and gave money to the poor. All of these traditions, along with many others, were done the day after Christmas.

A lot of sports are held of Boxing Day. Fox hunting used to be done in England where the higher class of people dressed in red and brought their dogs to hunt the poor foxes down. Football matches and horse racing are well-known games that are watched on TV. The Boxing Day Dip (swim) started in 1970 in Pembrokeshire, Wales, with the Tenby Boxing Day Swim. People will dress up into silly clothes and swim in the North Sea. This a charity event held in Europe. The largest Boxing Day Dip (swim) is held by Lions Club of Sunderland, England.

"Good King Wenceslas", a Christmas song loved by my Nana, tells of St. Stephen who was the first martyred Christian. Just a little after Christ's crucifixion, St. Stephen was stoned, but he is still well-known in his Christmas carol. Because of him, Boxing Day is also known as St. Stephen's Day.

So this year's Boxing Day (December 26) remember to enjoy the day and have fun.

Emily

Wishing you lots of Tasty English Delights.

There's always room for one more.