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Showing posts from December, 2013

Despite its name, Boxing Day has nothing to do with pugilistic competition

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Boxing Day Traditional English holiday extends Christmas giving by David Johnson Despite its name, Boxing Day, which is celebrated on December 26 in Great Britain, has nothing to do with pugilistic competition. Nor is it a day for people to return unwanted Christmas presents. While the exact origins of the holiday are obscure, it is likely that Boxing Day began in  England  during the  Middle Ages . Some historians say the holiday developed because servants were required to work on  Christmas Day , but took the following day off. As servants prepared to leave to visit their families, their employers would present them with gift boxes. Church Alms Boxes Another theory is that the boxes placed in churches where parishioners deposited coins for the poor were opened and the contents distributed on December 26, which is also the Feast of  St. Stephen . As time went by, Boxing Day gift giving expanded to include those who had rendered a service during the previous year.