Boxing Day

If you are American you may not know what this day is about... heck, if you are Canadian you may not know the REAL meaning behind this day... but let me enlighten you ;)

No, it has nothing to do with fighting...

Today, it means the day after Christmas, in which there are major sales and everyone goes shopping.... think "Black Friday" in the USA.... though not as good.... I always score amazing deals Black Friday and Boxing Day, well, I don't even bother going out anymore, the sales are good, but never that great in my opinion....

Wikipedia states:

Boxing Day is a bank and public holiday in the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, Ghana, Switzerland, Germany, Greenland, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Nigeria, Trinidad & Tobago, Jamaica and countries in the Commonwealth of Nations with a mainly Christian population. In South Africa this public holiday is now known as the Day of Goodwill. Though it is not an official holiday in the United States, the name "Boxing Day" for the day after Christmas has some currency among Americans, particularly those that live near the Canada – United States border.

As for the term "Boxing" Day.. there are several ideas on where the term came from...

The most prevelent of course is that after Christmas Day, people would take left overs of food and other items in "boxes" and give to the poor and needy. Those who had not had such a glorious feast or celebration on Christmas Day. In old times servents had the day off and would celebrate with meals they prepared earlier, often buffet style, which is why many still to this day have buffet brunch on Boxing Day (we often do with any family who was with the in-laws instead of with us on Christmas Day)

Wikipedia states:

The traditional recorded celebration of Boxing Day has long included giving money and other gifts to those who were needy and in service positions. The European tradition has been dated to the Middle Ages, but the exact origin is unknown and there are some claims that it goes back to the late Roman/early Christian era; metal boxes were placed outside churches used to collect special offerings tied to the Feast of Saint Stephen.

So there you have it... Boxing Day... December 26 every year....