How ‘Boxing Day’ began
Make a difference in someone's life on what is now known as the Day of Goodwill.
NO, it is not a day where all the boxes that presents came in are thrown away. Actually, the origins of this holiday go back many centuries to where, traditionally, on the day after Christmas, churches would open their alms boxes and distribute the contents to the poor of their parish.
In the nineteenth century, Queen Victoria made Boxing Day a formal holiday for all countries of the Commonwealth. It was the day when the maids, drivers and cooks were given the day off, with small gifts, often in boxes, given as a token of appreciation by their masters.
In South Africa, the day after Christmas Day, 26 December, every year is designated the Day of Goodwill. It is set aside so that South Africans may continue the spirit of Christmas to all the people in the country.
Boxing Day was renamed Day of Goodwill in 1994. The day is known as St. Stephen’s Day in Italy, Finland, and Alsace and Moselle in France.
It is also known as both St. Stephen’s Day and the Day of the Wren or Wren’s Day in Ireland. In many European countries, including notably Germany, Poland, the Netherlands and those in Scandinavia, 26 December is celebrated as the Second Christmas Day.
Let this season of goodwill spread and last not just today or the next few days but let it last the whole year through and beyond.
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