What Is Boxing Day and What Does it Have to Do with Christmas?
Christmas and Advent
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By Vivian Bricker, Crosswalk.com
If you live in the United States of America, you're probably not familiar with Boxing Day. Boxing Day is normally not celebrated in America. It is majorly celebrated in Europe, such as Spain, England, New Zealand, and Ireland, to name a few places. Boxing day was originally established as a day to help the poor, yet over time, it has become known widely as a day of shopping.
What Is Boxing Day?
Boxing Day occurs the day after Christmas every year in December. The origins of Boxing Day date back to England. Historians connect Boxing Day with the practice of individuals having a Christmas box of money, gifts, or supplies to give to servants or others who have provided yearlong service.
It was tradition for wealthy landowners and individuals to give servants off during Boxing Day. Since the servants had to work on Christmas, it was tradition to give them the day after Christmas off to spend with their own families.
By giving their servants time off as well as gifting them with Christmas boxes, the Boxing Day holiday became a highly anticipated holiday every year.
Boxing day changed during the reign of Queen Victoria in the 1800s. On the day after Christmas, wealthy families would box up gifts of leftovers and presents for the poor and give them to the less wealthy families.
Therefore, the name “Boxing Day” comes from the concept of wealthy families boxing up gifts to give to the poor the day after Christmas. Also, during Victoria's reign, it was common for individuals and families to give items to the church.
In other words, Boxing Day “became an occasion for church parishioners to deposit donations into a box that was put out for the purpose by the clergyman” (Ibid.).
During Boxing Day, family and friends gather together because they were not able to get together for the actual Christmas holiday. Traditional Boxing Day activities can include going to eat together, going to spend quality time together, or just resting at home.
It is also common for those who celebrate Boxing Day to celebrate with any leftovers from Christmas Day. Many individuals refer to Boxing Day as being a second Christmas.
As we can see, there were many traditions associated with Boxing Day; however, it has changed a great deal in the present day.
The tradition associated with Boxing Day is a beautiful concept and a way to give the poor a wonderful Christmas too, yet sadly, this practice is not often practiced anymore in the present day. Rather than Boxing Day being tied with giving gifts to the poor, it is now associated with shopping.
Boxing Day in England and other European countries is closely related to Black Friday in the United States.
There are normally massive sales at stores, and it is known to be a day with great deals. It is also not uncommon for individuals to return ideas they didn’t want for Christmas on Boxing Day.
While Boxing Day had noble roots, it has changed immensely since its genesis. While the majority of the populace does not celebrate Boxing Day in the same way as they used to, there are bound to be some individuals who still celebrate Boxing Day in the way of its origins.
Boxing Day is also the day of celebration for Saint Stephen, who was the first martyr of the church (Acts 7:54-60). Stephen was a man who loved Christ and sought to follow Him with His whole heart.
St. Stephen’s Day is connected with Boxing Day because the holiday is about giving to others and being selfless — in the same way, Stephen embodied these attributes in his life in service to Jesus.
What Does Boxing Day Have to Do with Christmas?
In addition to being related and connected to St. Stephen’s Day, Boxing Day is also closely related to Christmas. Since we now know what Boxing Day is, we are able to know what Boxing Day has to do with Christmas.
As established earlier in the article, Boxing Day is the day that is celebrated the day after Christmas for the poor and servants who could not be with their families on Christmas Day.
In this way, Boxing Day is connected to Christmas because it is the day when the servants and the poor were able to truly celebrate Christmas with their loved ones.
Christmas is all about the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ, into the world. Sadly, many of us have lost sight of the true meaning of Christmas and have fallen into the trap of materialism and consumerism. Rather than focusing on Jesus, we think about gifts or big holiday events.
While these things can be nice, they are not what Christmas is all about. We can celebrate the birth of Jesus even if we don’t have gifts, a special meal, or loved ones to spend the holiday with. As long as we are celebrating Jesus and the anniversary of His birth into the world, we are truly celebrating Christmas.
The tradition of Boxing Day and its connection with generosity, humbleness, and giving to the poor is ultimately following Jesus’ teachings.
God wants us to be generous and to give to others as the Bible says, “Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work” (2 Corinthians 9:6-8).
God loves when we are cheerful givers and practice generosity. The Lord tells us it is more blessed to give than to receive (Acts 20:35).
In the same way, the old tradition of Boxing Day promotes humbleness, which is also in accordance with the Lord. Ephesians 4:2 tells us, “Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.”
As this passage of Scripture tells us, the Lord wants us to be completely humble, gentle, and patient. Throughout the old tradition of Boxing Day, individuals were humble by giving their own belongings to others because they didn’t see themselves as being better than anyone else.
Instead, they saw others as being more important than themselves, and they did their best each year to ensure servants, and the poor were able to have a Christmas celebration too.
Giving to the poor is also a key teaching in the life of Jesus. The Bible tells us, “The righteous care about justice for the poor, but the wicked have no such concern” (Proverbs 29:7).
During Jesus’ earthly life, He always went to the poor and outcast of society and healed them as well as performed miracles before them. The original Boxing Day followed the teachings of Christ because they were helping the poor, and they were eager to do so year after year.
What Does This Mean?
Thus, Christmas Day and Boxing Day are two different holidays, yet they both point us to Christ. Boxing Day is celebrated the day after Christmas, so the servants were able to celebrate Christmas with their families since they had to spend Christmas working.
Similarly, Boxing Day is also about giving to the poor and helping them experience the magic of Christmas. Even though many countries do not celebrate Boxing Day, it is an important holiday with noble roots.
For further reading:
What Can We Learn from Old Christmas Hymns?
5 Things Not to Say to Family Members at Christmas
3 Ways to Keep Jesus at the Center of Your Christmas This Year
Photo Credit: ©iStock/Getty Images Plus/DragonImages
Vivian Bricker obtained a Bachelor of Arts in Ministry, followed by a Master of Arts with an emphasis in theology. She loves all things theology, mission work, and helping others learn about Jesus. Find more of her content at Cultivate: https://cultivatechristianity.wordpress.com/.
