Boxing Day!

A Weird Holiday, with a Weird Name, for a Handful of Countries-not-the-USA.

Actually, if you're reading this in Massachusetts, you're celebrating Boxing Day too! You can thank Governor William Weld for that.

Below are some common misconceptions about Boxing Day. Boxing Day is not:

• A day about the sport of boxing
• A day where you throw out your boxes after receiving all those lovely gifts
• A day where store owners box up unsold merchandise from Christmas (close.)
• A day where you box things up to regift things from Christmas (what- why would there be a holiday around this... who are you people?)

Okay, so what is it?

If you want to be cool, hip, and with the times- nowadays, Boxing Day has been injected with a healthy dose of capitalism. Boxing day is celebrated on the day after Christmas (December 26th). A lot of traditions still remain from the early days, but most people who celebrate it know it for stores that have "outrageous" sales. Much like Black Friday, but after Christmas.

For countries that celebrate it, it's like a continuation of Christmas. Think of it as Christmas++. A day off, eating those Christmas leftovers, relaxing, or running into the sea.

But what is it, really?

Like most holidays, Boxing Day has evolved over time. The holiday originated in the United Kingdom, and is usually associated with countries of the Commonwealth (though not always). Servants would work on Christmas Day, but would then get the subsequent day off. Their employers would give them a Christmas Box- a gift, sometimes monetary, sometimes leftover Christmas food, that the servant could bring home to their families.

Who celebrates it?

A bunch of places! Below is a map. If you're in America, the most relevant place to you is probably that patchy, funny-looking country sitting above the USA. That's right- it's Canada!

And now you know!

We hope this information has helped you convince your family members that you're cultured and interesting, impress your Canadian significant other, or win a bar bet.