Salami Sulaimon
BOXING DAY
In the Commonwealth nations, Boxing
Day is traditionally a day following
Christmas, and is usually a bank (or
public) holiday that occurs on December
26, or the first or second weekday after
Christmas Day, depending on national or
regional laws.
Growing up a pack of Australian wild
colonial boys in Southeast Asia, there
was a bit of a disconnect for my
brothers and I. Due to the British
influence, our family followed the
holiday traditions of a place we boys had
never set foot in. I came away from my
first Guy Fawkes bonfire at the British
Club as mystified as before it was
explained to me. Due to the war in
neighboring ex-French Indochina we
were surrounded by Americans, and we
were slowly becoming Americanized.
Thus, to me, Guy Fawkes is 'British
Halloween'. The one I could never
figure is 'Boxing Day.'
Why is it call 'Boxing Day'?
We kids struggled with this one. Is it
because this is the day they throw out
all the boxes? Perhaps - in ancient times
- boxing matches were traditionally held
on this day?
One explanation the grownups offered
was that this is the day when wealthy
people and homeowners in Britain
would give a box containing a gift to
their servants.
It turns out this latter is closer to the
truth - but why would it be called
'Boxing Day'? After all, there are more
boxes around on Christmas Day. Why
don't they just call it 'Servants Day'?
Maybe it's because not everybody has
servants?
The Origins of Boxing Day
St. Annes Church - East Farleigh, Kent
In the old, old days, an 'Alms Box' was
placed in every church on Christmas
Day, into which worshipers placed gifts
for the poor of the parish. These boxes
were always opened the day after
Christmas, which is why that day
became known as 'Boxing Day'.
This tradition still continues to this day,
when householders give small gifts or
monetary tips to visiting tradespeople;
the garbage man, the paper boy,
etcetera. Often, organizations get
together gifts to be put into Christmas
boxes that are sent to the poor.
However, there is another origin of the
term 'Boxing Day': During the Age of
Exploration, when sailing ships were
setting off to discover new lands, a
'Christmas Box' was used as a good luck
device.
The Christmas Box was a small container
placed on the ship when it was still in
port. It was put there by the priest, into
which the crewmen who wanted to
ensure a safe return would drop money
into the box. It was then sealed up and
kept onboard for the entire voyage.
If the ship came home safely, the box
was handed over to the priest in
exchange for the saying of a Mass of
thanks for the success of the voyage.
The Priest would keep the box sealed
until Christmas, when he would open it
to share the contents with the poor.
Boxing Day Down Under
It's summertime right now in Australia,
and Christmas Down Under is sort of like
how it was for us kids growing up in the
tropics - not really the same as up here
in the Northern Hemisphere. There is a
special event, however, which ties in
the maritime origins of the term 'Boxing
Day': the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race
starts in Sydney, Australia every Boxing
Day and finishes in Hobart, Tasmania.
The race distance is approximately 630
nautical miles (1,170 km). The race is
widely considered to be one of the most
difficult yacht races in the world.
Start of the Sydney-Hobart Yacht Race in
Sydney Harbour, an Australian Boxing
Day tradition
I spent a couple Christmas's in Sydney
and have personally witnessed this
amazing spectacle from The Heads, the
large promontories overlooking the
entrance to Port Jackson (Sydney
Harbour).
Sydney Harbour - The Heads
HAPPY BOXING DAY! pls visit www.tipsfield.com