Boxing Day takes place on December 26th and is only
celebrated in a few countries. It was started in the UK
about 800 years ago, during the Middle Ages. It was the
day when the alms box, collection boxes for the poor
often kept in churches, were traditionally opened so that
the contents could be distributed to poor people. Some
churches still open these boxes on Boxing Day.
It might have been the Romans that first brought this
type of collecting box to the UK, but they used them to
collect money for the betting games which they played
during their winter celebrations!
In Holland , some collection boxes were made out of a
rough pottery called 'earthenware' and were shaped like
pigs. Perhaps this is where we get the term 'Piggy
Bank'!
The Christmas Carol , Good King Wenceslas, is set on
Boxing Day and is about a King in the Middle Ages who
brings food to a poor family.
It was also traditional that servants got the day off to
celebrate Christmas with their families on Boxing Day.
Before World War II, it was common for working people
(such as milkmen and butchers) to travel round their
delivery places and collect their Christmas box or tip.
This tradition has now mostly stopped and any
Christmas tips, given to people such as postal workers
and newspaper delivery children, are not normally
given or collected on Boxing Day.
Boxing Day has now become another public holiday in
countries such as the UK , Canada, Australia and New
Zealand. It is also the traditional day that Pantomimes
started to play. There are also often sports played on
Boxing Day in the UK, especially horse racing and
football matches!
The 26th December is also St. Stephen's Day. Just to
confuse things, there are two St. Stephens in history!
The first St. Stephen was a very early follower of Jesus
and was the first Christian Martyr (a person who dies
for their religious beliefs). He was stoned to death by
Jews who didn't believe in Jesus.
The second St. Stephen was a Missionary, in Sweden, in
the 800s. He loved all animals but particularly horses
(perhaps why there is traditionally horse racing on
boxing day). He was also a martyr and was killed by
pagans in Sweden. In Germany there was a tradition
that horses would be ridden around the inside of the
church during the St. Stephen's Day service!

My D day. celeberate with me today as am mark my Birthday.