I always believed as a child that boxing day is boxing day, until recently after I've become an adult that I realized that boxing day is a day of boxing an not for boxing. Do you understand?... Hahaha... Sorry, I didn't mean to confuse you, I'm just trying to unravel a mystery
It has become a long age tradition and official that every December 26th is boxing day; this day always annoyed me as a child because I thought it was a day to box. And coincidentally, boxing matches were always televised in television channels those days so I believed the day was for those who engaged in boxing
In the part of the world where I grew up, even adults still believe that today is meant for boxing or exchange of blows. I believe that after reading this article, old folks and the young who thought that boxing day is a day to exchange blows will learn a new thing
You see, I've always wondered why or how the Christmas season which is known to be a season of love and sharing would accommodate such a thing as a boxing day. I felt "disappointed" as a child because I hate violence with passion even as a child and people kept talking about blows, during the Christmas season, I thought to myself
Boxing day started as far back as in the 1830s. It was a day of charity when masters boxed up gifts and give to their servants, and the servants were always off duty on boxing days.
The practice continued and started gaining admiration and approval from the public, as time passed by, the rich people also adopted the practice. They put gifts inside boxes and give to the poor in the society, it was just a happy day for both the poor and the rich, the servants and the masters
Since Christmas is known to be a season of joy and love sharing , a season of giving, it is only ideal to also have an official day of giving gifts to people wrapped in boxes around the Christmas season. Since Christmas is a big feast and boxing day or gifting day can not be celebrated the same day, boxing day was shifted to a day after Christmas which is December 26th
There are basically to ways to celebrate boxing day or gifting day
Firstly, some days before Christmas and on Christmas day proper, people wrap gifts in boxes and give to their friends and family who drop the boxes under the Christmas tree. After 25th December which is Christmas day, the boxes are opened on the 26th thus the name "boxing day"
Secondly, some people choose to give and also receive their own gifts on the 26th day of December; the gifts are of course, wrapped in boxes most times to celebrate boxing day
So, whichever way you look at it, boxing day has nothing to do with violence or exchange of blows, its rather a day of giving and love because its still done in the spirit of the Christmas season. In case you missed my previous article on the topic Christmas Spirit , kindly click on the link to read about The Christmas Spirit. A lot of people have a wrong notion and impression about boxing day.
I saw a lot of people on social media posting pictures of people fighting and they tagged "happy boxing day". Let's take correction now, it's not boxing day to exchange blows but boxing day to exchange gifts and open boxes of gifts
Now you know what boxing day is all about, bless someone with a gift because we're still in Christmas season.
Merry Christmas!