Can somebody explain where the term "Boxing Day" comes from and how it is related to this time of the year?

(presents in a box?)

From http://portal.citysoup.ca/NR/exeres/067CE0CB-A6FE-4D0F-A40F-9C5C8C38D674.htm

quote:

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The Boxing Day tradition began in Britain possibly as early as in the Middle Ages; with regards to its origin, there are two main schools of thought. Some historians maintain that it began as a holiday tradition where house servants, who always had to work on Christmas days, were rewarded the day after. Their employers would put gifts such as food, clothing, or money in “Christmas boxes,” which the servants would then take with them as they departed for family visits. Others say that Boxing Day is so named because churches collected money for the poor in wooden boxes and usually opened them to hand out alms on the day after Christmas. Today, Boxing Day is celebrated in most of the other English-speaking countries that include Canada, Australia and New Zealand, the United States being a notable exception.

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since we don't, would somebody like to explain how?

dave

i have always been told its the day you should (but dont) open presents.

being a cynic, id say it was a contrivance to get an extra day off!

atb

steve

I always understood that the left over food from the Chrismass dinner is boxed and given to the poor the next day.
KT

nah, its where you box your relatives for all the naff presents they've sent!

Wonderful tradition.

Nobody knows what it is.

Except, maybe, Mr. Gusterson

[Edited on 25/12/04 by dmottaway]

Boxing Day a.k.a. "Toys 'R' Bust" day

Oh for heaven's sake! Don't you know it's the day you spend re-folding T-shirts with silly slogans, re-packing Old Spice Gift Sets and boxing everything else up to be returned during the sales when the shop staff are too busy to care if you have the original receipt or not.
Everything I got is being boxed today, ready for return, with the exception of a shirt which I puked over last night.