Boxing day explained!

So, what is Boxing Day?

First we need to get our Bibles out, open them about halfway through and take a peek in the Acts of the Apostles. Here we learn all about Saint Stephen. It’s a fairly brief story – and at risk of ruining the story for you – he ends up being stoned to death. He is patron saint of a fairly eclectic mix of things, including casket makers, coffin makers, deacons, masons, stone masons and horses! The church established a feast day for St Stephen on the 26th December. Back in the Middle Ages, when horses were the only form of transport available, farmers would bring their horses to church on St Stephen’s day where they would be blessed by the priest.

As if all of that was not excitement enough, Churches historically opened their charity/alms boxes on St Stephen's Day and gave the money to the poor, and the day became associated with giving to the poor and needy. Ever heard of a Christmas carol called Good King Wenceslas? It is all about the king of Bohemia and how he invited a poor bloke in from the snow and fed and clothed him.

Giving alms to the poor was only the start though – in the 17th century the custom was extended to apprentices. Their masters would collect money for them in pottery containers (possibly the original ‘piggy banks’) and the apprentices would smash them open on St Stephen’s day. Suddenly, it seems, everyone wanted in on the action. In 1710 Jonathan Swift had a bit of a rant in his diary about being expected to provide Christmas boxes to, “carriers, policemen, lamp-lighters, scavengers, butchers' and bakers' boys, tradesmen's carmen, etc”

In Victorian times the day had become popularly known as Boxing day, and Johnathan Swift’s rant was echoed by Charles Manby Smith in Curiosities of London life: “We can hardly close these desultory sketches of Christmas- time without some brief allusion to the day after Christmas, which, through every nook and cranny of the great Babel, is known and recognised as "Boxing Day," - the day consecrated to baksheesh, when nobody, it would almost seem, is too proud to beg, and when everybody who does not beg is expected to play the almoner. "Tie up the knocker - say you're sick, you are dead," is the best advice perhaps that could be given in such cases to any man who has a street-door and a knocker upon it”
It also became tradition to allow household servants to have a holiday on Boxing Day: they would serve the household on Christmas day, but would be allowed Boxing Day to themselves. In 1871, Boxing Day was made a public bank holiday, meaning no one would be expected to work.

Nowadays the origins of Boxing Day are mostly forgotten, but the holiday remains. It is a day for family get togethers, horse racing (St Stephen’s influence?) and of course, a great opportunity to snap up a bargain in the post-Christmas sales.

Christmas Trees Explained!

Why do we have Christmas trees? This site covers the history for better than I could: http://www.christmasarchives.com/trees.html