Facts about Boxing Day

Boxing Day is a secular holiday celebrated the day after Christmas Day. It is believed to have originated in the United Kingdom and is celebrated in a number of countries that previously formed part of the British Empire.

Here are some facts about this day:

• It’s celebrated on 26 December

Boxing Day is observed annually on December 26. In South Africa, if it falls on a Saturday or Sunday, the public holiday itself will be celebrated on Monday. In SA, it is now referred to as the Day of Goodwill.

• Nobody knows for sure where the name originated from

Many historians think the holiday’s name is derived from the church practice of opening alms boxes the day after Christmas and distributing the money in them to the poor.

Another school of thought believes the name came from the practice adopted by the wealthy population in Britain, who had numerous servants attending to their needs. These servants were not given Christmas Day off, as their employers frequently had house guests for Christmas Day. The servants were given the day after Christmas off to visit their families, and were almost always given a box of left-over goodies and other foodstuffs to take home with them. Hence the name ‘Boxing Day’.

• Big day for shopping

While it still falls within the top five biggest shopping days of the year, the popularity of online shopping has reduced the overall spending people do on December 26.

• There is no boxing involved

Despite the name, observances of Boxing Day in the UK and South Africa involve no fisticuffs.

• Other countries do take the name more literally, however

Some former British colonies in Africa and the Caribbean celebrate the holiday with prize-fighting events.