Boxing Day

Anne here, and it's the 26th of December — St Stephen's Day, and traditionally the occasion in England where church alms boxes were opened and the contents distributed between the poor of the parish. It's the day when Good King Wenceslas gave the poor man meat, wine and wood — "on the feast of Stephen."

It's also called Boxing Day, and this term is still used today in the UK, Australia, Canada, NZ and other commonwealth countries. In Regency times, this was the day when the affluent folk presented servants and tenants and the local poor with "Christmas Boxes."

In practice this could range from money, leftover food from the Christmas feast, to discarded clothing, and all sorts. It's the origin of the Christmas bonus and the custom of leaving out out small gifts for those who deliver to our homes — the paperboy, the postman, the milkman etc. It was also a day when servants who'd been kept busy on Christmas Day could have a day off to celebrate Christmas with their own families. 

But for aristocrats, it was also a day for hunting, donning the "pink" coats and heading out in the crispy dawn to hunt down a hapless fox. (Yes, the coats are actually red, but those in the know refer to the colour as pink, I know not why.) These days fox hunting is banned in the UK, and "drag hunting" has replaced it, though illegal hunts still take place.

In Australia, the UK, parts of Canada, NZ, Trinidad and Tobago, this tradition continues, only without horses, hounds or foxes. It's the noble sport of Bargain Hunting! Most  stores have massive sales on Boxing Day - the shops will open at crack of dawn and there will be a huge feeding frenzy as shoppers go wild over bargains. 

For others it's a day for sport — or rather it's a relaxed day watching others play sport. In Australia it's cricket — the start of the international test match — playing against countries like England, India, the West Indies, NZ, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.

Cricket is a passion with many Australians, and the tradition of going to the Boxing Day match in Melbourne, at the MCG (Melbourne Cricket Ground) is long and beloved here. In many families the men go to the cricket while the women hit the shops.
It will be interesting to see how this goes with all our CoVid restrictions.

It's also the start of the Sydney to Hobart yacht race.

In the UK it's football and horse racing. In Barbados, the final day of horse racing is held on Boxing Day at The Historic Garrison Savannah, a UNESCO world heritage site. 

In Canada and some European countries, ice-hockey rules and several major world contests are begun. In Sweden, it's the start of the Bandy season (a very fast ice-hockey variant.) In some places, eg Ghana, Uganda, Malawi, Zambia, Tanzania, and Italy they actually (gasp!) have professional boxing matches on Boxing Day.

But for a lot of people, Boxing Day is the day to pack up some yummy Christmas leftovers and head to the beach, for the day or longer. It's summertime here, and since most of the major cities are coastal, the beach is close by. And since it's also the long summer holidays for schools, most people take this time for their four weeks annual leave. And if cricket is played, it's generally beach cricket. This little illustration by Elizabeth Honey perfectly sums up summers of my childhood.

So how was your Christmas, and what do you usually do on Boxing Day?

Comments

[Catherine]

In Norfolk (England) we might well have a walk on the beach on Boxing Day but it doesn’t look much like that picture!! More wellies, hats and gloves!

Merry christmas

[Anne Gracie]

Thanks, Catherine. A walk along the beach in any weather (except possibly storms and sleet) is a treat, I think.All the best to you for what remains of the festive season.

[Quantum]

Anne, you just reminded me to put out a Christmas box for the milkman who has not missed a delivery this year despite every obstacle including covid, bad weather, floods, petrol shortages etc.

I would normally take a Boxing day walk on the Malvern Hills but alas today the tops are hidden in mist so I wouldn't see much. I could also tune in to the Melbourne test match but England are taking another hammering ... drat it!

Ah well I have lots of audio books, some bottles of wine and many goodies to nibble. My better half also has recordings of 'Carols at Kings' and also a DVD of our local church carol service .... we will probably snuggle up and watch those!

Wishing Wenches and readers a Very Happy Christmas from the UK.

[Christina Courtenay]

I used to play bandy as a child, Anne - it's a fun game and you don't have to wear a lot of protective gear like in ice hockey. If I was in Sweden, I might have gone to watch the local team play, or head out into the forest for some cross country skiing. Alas, here in the UK there's no snow so I'm staying indoors, chilling with a good book and having some leftover Christmas food and chocolate. Bliss!

[Kareni]

We woke up to snow this morning which looks lovely (but now we need to head out to do grocery shopping). I look forward to being back inside with one of my new Christmas books.

Happy Boxing Day to all!

[Jcp]

Lying around eating leftovers and using those Amazon gift cards ( not in a Comonwealth country)

[Meg]

YES!

[theo]

I wish we still had milk delivery here! Nothing doing on Boxing Day here except sitting around and taking it easy. Eating leftovers. Watching the last of the Christmas movies with a little Key Largo on TCM tossed in. :)

[Teresa Broderick]

Same here Theo. I'm having a well earned rest after a hectic week and a day cooking yesterday. Expecting family tomorrow so I better make the most of it! Enjoying some old films on tv and doing quite a bit of reading.
Our weather was sunny today with very high temperatures which is very unusual for us at this time of year.

[Annette N]

We will be grey in the morning and then sunny for the rest of the day. We have been very warm for quite some time.

I hope today to not do much....laundry must be done. But, after that, would like to finish a book about
Maigret, the wonderful French policeman. I love this series and feel badly that I have not read one in quite awhile.

One of the advantages of being older than dirt, means I can pretty much choose how I spend my days.

Hope everyone is well and safe and happy. I also hope your Christmas day was filled with joy.

[theo]

Unfortunately, I think our unseasonably warm weather is coming to an end. We're supposed to get an inch or so of snow overnight and then freezing rain on top of that in the morning. We'll see. This is Michigan after all ;) Thank goodness our family stuff is done for the year. I had a week of baking, cooking, cleaning...I'm getting a little old for this! hee

[Anne Gracie]

Thanks, Quantum — and all the best to you and yours.

I miss having a milkman. When I first moved to this house I was enchanted by the then milk delivery, which came by horse-drawn wagon. I would wake in the early morning to the sound of clip clop hooves on tarmac — such a country sound, but it was inner suburban Melbourne. But that milkman and his horse retired, and was replaced by a rattly milk truck, and a very grumpy milkman, and after a bit he, too retired and after that there was no delivery.

A walk in the Malvern Hills sounds lovely — I hope the weather clears for you. And while I feel I should almost apologise for the cricket . . . I won't. *g* Sounds like you and Mrs Q are all set for a cosy Christmastide.

[Anne Gracie]

Christina, when I was trawling through the lists of what sports different countries follow around Boxing Day, I spotted a Swedish one and of course had to include it for you. I'd never heard of it, but it sounds like fun.

[Anne Gracie]

Your snow sounds very pretty, Kareni. Enjoy the holidays and all your Christmas books.

[Anne Gracie]

Yes, I think a LOT of people are doing exactly that, whether the weather is cold or warm. *g* Enjoy.

[Anne Gracie]

Sounds like the perfect relaxation after the Christmas rush, Theo. Enjoy.

[Anne Gracie]

Sounds like you needed the rest, Teresa. Enjoy the family visit — and the rest you'll need after that. *g* Lovely for you to have some sun at this time of year. You know it won't last, so enjoy!

[Anne Gracie]

Thanks, Annette. I've never read the Maigret books, but I have watched some of the TV series with Rowan Atkinson as Maigret — a huge change from his comedy.
Enjoy the holidays.

[Vicki L]

I took advantage of our extra warm weather today (US not so sunny south) to do a couple of chores that were much easier done while it was warm.

My husband watched bowl games from time to time today in between taking advantage of the dry warm weather outside also.. There were some on yesterday I think (football). Basketball may also be on for all I know!

The crazy after Christmas sales just don't float my boat so didn't go there.

Merry Christmas to one and all...

[Linda S]

Anne, I have heard (but can’t verify) that hunting pinks are named for Thomas Pink, a London tailor of the 18th century. There was a 20th century shirt company named after him. Recently it got into financial difficulties, and I don’t know if it still exists. Perhaps another reader knows more about Thomas Pink.

[Pamela DG]

Here in the US, hunting is humane. The Hunts look after the foxes making sure they are healthy as foxes are necessary to our ecosystems. They are not killed. Back when in the 17th Century the coats were madder-red (the same color the British Army uses). Red was a very unstable color before synthetic dyes were made, so the older the coat is, the pinker it would be. So if your hunting coat was pink, it designated how long ago you were awarded your hunting colors. I don't hunt, but I allow the local hunts (both on foot and horseback) access to my land so they can follow their quarry.

[Pamela DG]

Yes, that is one of the origins of the term Pinks. Another, is that the color fades to pink the older it becomes.

[Anne Gracie]

Vicki, I'm with you — I can't think of anything worse than hitting the shops on Boxing Day. Mind you, I'm not a great shopper at the best of times.

[Anne Gracie]

Thanks for that snippet of info, Linda. And I see that Pamela has also suggested a reason for the term "pink" when referring to hunting coats.

I also suspect it's one of those tricky little ways in which the aristocracy separates those "in the know" and newcomers.

[Anne Gracie]

Thanks for that info Pamela. Interesting.