While growing up I have always thought that Boxing Day is a particular day set aside for boxers all over the world to compete against each other but my findings proved me wrong and I was able to know the true meaning of Boxing Day and why we actually celebrate Boxing Day. Well, it is important we note that the exact origin of Boxing Day is not yet known but before we go down to the history of Boxing Day let me give a brief introduction of what Boxing Day is all about.
WHAT IS BOXING DAY?
Boxing Day is day after the Christmas celebration being the 26th of December, it is a holiday that is celebrated in some part of the world (My country Nigeria, observes today as a public holiday). Boxing Day is usually a day spent with family and friends especially those that could not visit on Christmas day due to one reason or the other, Boxing Day is another day set aside for visiting, the leftover food and turkeys are usually eaten with family and friends on this day.
WHY 26TH December IS CALLED A BOXING DAY
Like I said earlier, the history of Boxing Day is not yet, the Oxford English Dictionary defines Boxing Day as the first week day after the Christmas day, it is observed as a holiday on which post-men, servants do expect a Christmas box, but different schools of thought have tried to explain it different ways. Some believed that Boxing Day originated in England in the Nineteenth century under Queen Victoria. For years, 26th December usually falls on a weekend; the celebration was then moved to make sure that workers still get a day off. In the United Kingdom, 26th December is classed as a Bank a holiday. Another school of thought also have it that boxing day dated back to the Middle Ages (A.D. 400’s-1500’s),it was said to have begun with the lords and lords of England, who presented Christmas gifts in boxes to their servants on the 26th of December and the servants would also go home to give Christmas boxes to their families . Another school of thought also have it that it originated from the times when some priests who opened the church alms boxes on the 26th of December and distributed the items to the poor and needy.
Coincidentally, the Boxing Day is also celebrated as a St Stephen’s Day. St Stephen was a little known saint who attained eternal fame by being the first Christian to be martyred for his faith by being stoned to death shortly after Christ’s crucifixion.
HOW PEOPLE SPEND THEIR BOXING DAY
People spend boxing day in doing so many exciting things, some spend the day shopping with friends and family, other spend the day at home with friends and family, some others go out to watch a local sport, some do different exciting things that interest them. Well i enjoyed mine with a couple of friends, we cooked a meal and ate together while talking with each other it was really a great day. Compliments
