In England a long time ago .....
Servants were required to work on Christmas. They were responsible for making the holiday run smoothly for wealthy landowners. They were allowed to take leave on December 26th and visit their families. The employers gave each servant a box containing gifts and bonuses. In addition, around the 800s’ churches opened their alms boxes (boxes where people place monetary donations) and distributed the contents to the poor.
In England today .....
Few people have servants but the custom of giving gifts or money to those who provide service continues. It is also popular to visit grandparents and shop (the after Christmas discounts begin.) Many people get the day off from work. Watching sports especially horse races is also a popular activity. Boxing Day is also celebrated in places where the English have settled or have influence like Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and Scotland. Some places observe Boxing Day on December 26th and some celebrate it on the first weekday following Christmas; so, if Christmas falls on Friday or Saturday, Boxing Day would be on the following Monday.
Now, the actual origin of this holiday is debatable and has been debated, one idea being more popular than the other at a given time.
St. Stephen’s Day is also celebrated on December 26th - Stephen was one of Jesus’ disciples. Shortly after Jesus’ crucifixion he was accused of preaching blasphemy and he was stoned to death becoming the first Christian martyr. The song “Good King Wenceslas” speaks of Stephen.
“…..when Good King Wenceslas looked out,
On the Feast of Stephen …..”Moi-mogan, Domnic Fernandes Anjuna/Dhahran, KSA
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