What is Boxing Day?

[TroyGFC]

What is it? I heard something to do with Broken Hill??????

[JAS]

Do you mean why is 26th Dec called Boxing Day?

Ok here's the boring bit...it was traditional for people (posh ones in big houses) to give their servants gifts ie a Christmas box...the day after the the servants had served the family their Christmas. It's also a tradition for the family to wait on the servants and serve them a Christmas dinner...something that still happens in the military...the officers always serve Christmas lunch to the troops on Chrissie Day.

Regards
JAS

[A Mum]

Ahhhh very interesting.
You learn something every day

[JAS]

Actually it might also include a gift for trades people...ie butcher, baker, postie etc
I remember as a kid my parents and grand parents putting some money in envelopes to give as a 'Christmas box' to the postie, bin men etc.

An alternative theory, in our house, was that because it is also St Stephens Day it means that anyone called Stephen can knock the carp (ie box in the pugilist sense) out of his older sister without fear of retribution. This theory was usually very easily disproved every year

Regards
JAS

[Wedgie]

The 26th of December.

[fester69]

First day of the Melbourne Test Match.

[gadj1976]

I remember not that long ago we didn't celebrate it here in Adelaide.

It was a day that was changed from Proclomation day (28/12) to Boxing day in line with the other states, so that we could have the day off. The 28th seems to have gone missing in recollection of Adelaide's history somewhat.

[Pseudo]

I had thought that Boxing day was so named because being the day after Christmas, unwanted gifts were re-boxed and given to the poor.

Have a squiz here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boxing_day It sounds like most of the theories espoused in this thread have some truth to them.

[Punk Rooster]

I remember not that long ago we didn't celebrate it here in Adelaide.

It was a day that was changed from Proclomation day (28/12) to Boxing day in line with the other states, so that we could have the day off. The 28th seems to have gone missing in recollection of Adelaide's history somewhat.

when did we lose our Proclomation Day Holiday? I seem to remember having the 25th, 26th & 28th off...

[Dirko]

Not sure Punk, but they definitely moved it to Boxing Day...FFS how can you move a holiday date which signifies the Proclamation of the State.

Holdfast Bay Council still have the Proclamation Day ceremony on the 28th.

http://www.holdfast.sa.gov.au/site/page.cfm?u=1031#top

[the big bang]

I had thought that Boxing day was so named because being the day after Christmas, unwanted gifts were re-boxed and given to the poor.

Have a squiz here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boxing_day It sounds like most of the theories espoused in this thread have some truth to them.

thats also what i've always believed pseudo!

[TroyGFC]

I remember not that long ago we didn't celebrate it here in Adelaide.

It was a day that was changed from Proclomation day (28/12) to Boxing day in line with the other states, so that we could have the day off. The 28th seems to have gone missing in recollection of Adelaide's history somewhat.

when did we lose our Proclomation Day Holiday? I seem to remember having the 25th, 26th & 28th off...

Yeah I seem to remember SA having 1 or 2 more public holidays than rest of country.

[gadj1976]

I remember not that long ago we didn't celebrate it here in Adelaide.

It was a day that was changed from Proclomation day (28/12) to Boxing day in line with the other states, so that we could have the day off. The 28th seems to have gone missing in recollection of Adelaide's history somewhat.

when did we lose our Proclomation Day Holiday? I seem to remember having the 25th, 26th & 28th off...

Yeah I seem to remember SA having 1 or 2 more public holidays than rest of country.

In a former life I worked in payroll and the 26th was a national holiday apart from SA. Some time back it was changed so that the 28th was celebrated on the 26th which the rest of the country had as a public holiday.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Proclamation_Day