Wednesday, December 26, 2018
Boxing Day is a holiday celebrated the day after Christmas Day that originated in the United Kingdom. In the liturgical calendar of Western Christianity, Boxing Day is the second day of Christmastide, and also St. Stephen's Day and is celebrated as a Second Christmas Day.
The European tradition, which has long included giving money and other gifts to those who were needy and in service positions, has been dated to the Middle Ages, but the exact origin is unknown. It is believed to be in reference to the Alms Box placed in areas of worship to collect donations to the poor. Also, it may come from a custom in the late Roman/early Christian era, wherein metal boxes placed outside churches were used to collect special offerings tied to the Feast of Saint Stephen, which in the Western Church falls on the same day as Boxing Day.