Is today a holiday in your country? And if so, what is it called? Odds are that in your language you call it something to the effect of “Second day of Chistmas”. Some Catholics use “St. Stephen’s Day” following their calendar of saints. If you’re British though, you’ve got a different name. For you, today is Boxing Day.
It is not certain where exactly the name “Boxing Day” comes from. There are many theories, but they all share one central characteristic. Whereas on Christmas Day people give presents to their peers, it used to be tradition to give gifts to less fortunate people the day after. If you were a wealthy person this could be your servants. They probably had to work for you on Christmas Day, and out of gratitude you’d give them a box with food and gifts to take home the day after. Another theory is that the name refers to the Alms Boxes in churches which would be opened on Christmas Day. The next day the priests would collect the alms from these boxes and give them to the needy. Whichever explanation is right, it is clear that all of them fit nicely into the spirit of the season. So don’t worry, Boxing Day has nothing to do with fighting.
Have you got any special name for Second Christmas Day in your language? If you do, please let us know in the comments!
by Brecht Savelkoul
Communication Trainee at TermCoord