What is the meaning or reason for Boxing Day?
Boxing day originated during the Victorian era. Family households would celebrate Christmas on Christmas day but this meant that their servants had to continue with their normal work and so, in effect, missed out on the celebration. To compensate for this families would set aside 26th December as the time for their servant’s Christmas. Work duties would be dropped to a minimum with family members assuming some of the responsibilities of the servants such as keeping the fireplace stocked with coal, greeting visitors themselves and supplying the servants with a good christmas dinner. The term “Boxing day” refers to the gift that the family gave to each servant – wrapped in box. Despite the good-will shown to their servants there was no mixed lunch or partying the night away together. Decent families still kept a reasonable distance from their servants.
