Boxing Day - the Day after Christmas!

No, not this kind of boxing:

December 26th is World Boxing Day and is only celebrated in a few countries; mainly ones historically connected to the UK (such as Canada, Australia, South Africa and New Zealand) and in some European countries. In Germany it is known as "Zweite Feiertag” (which means 'second celebration') and also “Zweiter Weihnachtsfeiertag” which translates as Boxing Day (although it doesn’t literally mean that)!

It is believed to have started in the UK about 800 years ago, during the Middle Ages. It was the day when collection boxes (alms box) for the poor often kept in churches, were traditionally opened so that the contents could be distributed to poor people. Some churches still open these boxes on Boxing Day (December 26th).

It might have been the Romans that first brought this type of collecting box to the UK, but they used them to collect money for the betting games which they played during their winter celebrations!

In The Netherlands, some collection boxes were made out of a rough pottery called 'earthenware' shaped like pigs. Perhaps this is where we get the term 'Piggy Bank'!

It was also traditional that servants got the day off to celebrate Christmas with their families on Boxing Day. Before World War II, it was common for working people (such as milkmen and butchers) to travel round their delivery places and collect their Christmas box or tip. This tradition has now mostly stopped and any Christmas tips, given to people such as postal workers and newspaper delivery children, are not normally given or collected on Boxing Day

There are also often sports played on Boxing Day in the United Kingdom, especially horse racing and football matches! It's also when shops traditionally had big sales after Christmas in the UK (like Black Friday in the USA).

If you prefer our BOXING GLOVE PENDANTS over unboxing something CLICK HERE.