Boxing Day, also known as St. Stephen’s Day, is celebrated on the day after Christmas, December 26. The holiday has British origins, and is a legal observance in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland and in some countries with British roots, such as Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

While the origins of the name are uncertain, Boxing Day has nothing to do with prizefighting or packing up Christmas gifts and decorations in boxes. Most probably, Boxing Day got its name from the medieval custom of preparing boxes of food and gifts to distribute to servants and to poor families on the day after Christmas.

Charity is still a part of Boxing Day celebrations, which also include family gatherings, casual meals, music, outdoor recreation and shopping. This article will help you celebrate Boxing Day in traditional fashion, no matter where you live.

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HOW TO CELEBRATE BOXING DAY

Edited by Chris Hadley, Matt Sieberg, 7cardcha, Maluniu and 3 others

Do something for others.

• In the traditional spirit of the day, deliver small gifts or monetary bonuses to people who serve you all year: your mail carrier, newspaper deliverer, hairdresser, gardeners, cleaners. You might want to bake cookies to deliver to the local firehouse, for example.
• Engage in a hands-on charitable activity such as serving a meal in a soup kitchen or collecting food for a food bank.
• Set aside time to plan how you will devote your money and time to charitable activities in the coming year.

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2

Participate in or watch outdoor recreation if the weather permits.

1. • In England, the Boxing Day fox hunt was traditional, but is now banned. Today Boxing Day is a popular time for horse racing. In the northern hemisphere, many winter race meetings open on December 26.
   • Football (soccer) matches—organized or pickup—are traditional Boxing Day celebrations in the UK, Republic of Ireland and Canada. In Australia, where it’s summertime, an important test match (cricket tournament) begins on Boxing Day.
   • Depending on the weather, celebrate Boxing Day with a family hike, boating, skiing, ice skating or a brisk walk.

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Bring family and friends together for a meal.

1. • Continuing the Christmas celebrations in a more casual style is the Boxing Day custom. Family meals are often made up of a collection of Christmas leftovers served cold or mixed into comforting stir fries like the traditional British bubble and squeak.
   • Open houses and potlucks extend the hospitality to a wider circle of friends.
   • In countries where turkey or goose is the main Christmas Day meal, a formal Boxing Day dinner features roast beef complete with Yorkshire pudding and other trimmings. In the UK and Canada, many restaurants welcome large parties for Boxing Day carveries, or buffets serving roast meats carved to order.

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Seek out traditional Boxing Day celebrations.

1. • In England, you might find Morris dancing—pageants featuring costumed dancers.
   • In Irish villages, the Hunting of the Wren is an ancient St. Stephen’s Day custom. Groups of men and boys parade the figure of a wren on a tall, decorated stick from door to door, begging for donations. The funds collected are used to put on a community dance party.
   • Sing or listen to Boxing Day carols. “Good King Wenceslaus” tells the story of a king’s act of charity “on the Feast of Stephen.” The album “Bells of Dublin” by the Irish band The Chieftains features 3 Boxing Day carols: “The St. Stephen’s Day Murders,” “The Arrival of the Wren Boys” and “A Wren in the Furze.”

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Shop for Bargains.

• Even though Boxing Day’s origins don’t have anything to do with packing unwanted Christmas gifts back in their boxes for return, December 26 has become one of the biggest shopping days of the year. If you’re bored or hunting for low prices on next year’s Christmas decorations, join the crowds in department stores and malls.

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