Happy Boxing Day

Christmas has come and gone for another year, a quiet letdown many of us feel on December 26. I comfort myself at this time every year by remembering it is Boxing Day in England, so the holiday lingers a bit for those of us of a strong English background ( at least that is what Ancestry.com insists is my background).

When we lived in England several years ago—my husband, I, and our two young sons—Boxing Day caused little fanfare in our household, but we knew and felt its importance to many of those around us. Traditionally, Boxing Day, December 26, began in England as a time to “box up” some gifts to give servants and tradespeople in appreciation for the work they’d done throughout the year, often including gifts to the poor as well. Eventually the practice extended throughout much of the British Empire and today continues to be celebrated in the Commonwealth, those nations that eventually became independent of Britain but kept strong ties of cooperation. Canada, Australia, India, Kenya, Uganda, South Africa, Belize, the United Kingdom, New Zealand, and the other remaining 56 Commonwealth countries, celebrate Boxing Day.

The holiday that began as a day off for servants to visit family and to receive gifts, money, and some of the luxurious left-over food they had served their employers survives today mainly as a period for relaxation, shopping, visiting, and the like—an extension of the Christmas goodwill. Let me wish each and every one of you reading this brief post, a happy Boxing Day and a lovely remainder of the “Holiday Season.” May you cozy up to a fireplace somewhere (metaphorically, at least, should you be spending Christmas in a tropical paradise) and savor those near and dear to you.