Boxing Day is a public holiday in the United States, United
Kingdom and other European Countries which dates back to the days of Queen
Victoria. It has nothing to do with the sport of boxing. It is an ancient tradition
where the rich used to box up gifts to give them to the poor. It is
traditionally a day off for the servants as they have to work on Christmas. But
it is also a religious day and is celebrated as Saint Stephen's Day in many
cities. It is also a good thing to thank those who work for you. So we have
found 6 things which you should know before you book Boxing Day flight tickets.
1) It is celebrated on December 26th - Boxing
Day is celebrated in many cities on the 26th of December and is a public holiday.
If due to any reason it falls on a weekend then Monday will be declared as a
public holiday. During the reign of Queen Victoria, it is declared as a
holiday. But today it became an extended holiday after Christmas which focus on
shopping and sporting events.
2) There is no trace for its name as Boxing Day - According
to some of the historians the name Boxing Day is derived from the church
because of the distribution of gifts and money to the poor after Christmas Eve.
Some of the other beliefs suggest that the box refers to the gifts and presents
given by the employer to their servants on the day after Christmas. As the
servants have to work during Christmas Day.
3) It is also popular for shopping - Boxing
Day is also considered as a shopping day as in the US and UK. It is one of the
busiest days for shopping. At an earlier time before the craze of online sales,
Boxing Day was considered one of the biggest shopping events of the year.
4) In Ireland the Boxing Day is known as Wren Day - The Irish
people celebrate December 26 as Wren Day instead of calling it Boxing Day.
According to old culture, poor children kill a wren and sell its features to
people for good luck. But today the celebration features fake wren and people
enjoy the day by wearing masks and buy colorful clothing.
5) Turkey Sandwiches - Boxing Day actually means
having the leftovers of Christmas. Many people prepare too much food for
Christmas and end up eating it for the whole week. Turkey is prepared in many
forms like Turkey curry, turkey pies and the famous turkey sandwich which is
famous during Boxing Day.
6) Different countries celebrate Boxing Day differently - Boxing Day is celebrated in different places in many different ways. In Canada, many
people celebrate the day while spending time to shop. While in Australia, New
Zealand, and Britain the people usually celebrate the day while enjoying sports
like cricket, rugby, and soccer. In Ireland, as we have discussed earlier
people celebrate the day while dressing up in traditional costumes. In the
Bahamas, a week-long festival is celebrated which lasts until the New Year.
