Origins of Boxing Day/Day of Goodwill

There are many different theories behind the name, a popular one is to do with helping out the less fortunate.

Boxes to collect money for the poor were placed in churches on Christmas day and opened the next day.

These boxes were opened on the day after Christmas in honour of St Stephen, the first Christian person killed because of his religious beliefs, whose feast day falls on 26 December.

The most common belief is that ‘Boxing Day’ got its name due to servants and their employers.

Boxing Day was a day of goodwill and for servants; they received a ‘Christmas Box’, in other words a Christmas gift from their masters.

Also read: Ideas for Christmas leftovers

The servants would also go home on Boxing Day to give ‘Christmas Boxes’ to their families.

Others suggest Boxing Day is to do with ships, when setting sail there would be a sealed box containing money on board for good luck.

Where the trip deemed to be a success, the box was given to a priest in that area and the contents then given to the poor.

Another theory comes from the Victorian ages, with employers giving Christmas boxes to their staff.

Workers were allowed time off on Boxing Day to visit their own families with Christmas boxes full of leftover food.

Servants would usually work on Christmas day so this was their day off to celebrate the Christian holiday.

Happy Boxing day!

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