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A few years ago, our family was invited to our company’s “Boxing Day” party. That was a first for us.
I wasn’t really sure what “Boxing Day” was. I had heard of it, but that was about it.
When I told our boys that we were all invited to a “Boxing Day” dinner party . . . Robert said, “Oh yeah, ‘Boxing Day’! They celebrate that in the U.K.”
Robert studied in a British university, so he had probably heard people in England talking about “Boxing Day” before he traveled home to Spain for Christmas.
Now, another one of our sons is studying in Canada and is about to marry a Canadian. They celebrate Boxing Day there, too, so I better get acquainted with this unfamiliar holiday!
According to Brittanica, Boxing Day is a public holiday celebrated in Great Britain and some Commonweath countries like Australia, New Zealand, and Canada.
What’s It All About?
None of us really knew what this holiday was all about, so what did I do?
I whipped out my cultural awareness glasses to find out!
I found this great National Geographic video that explains it all. It’s fascinating and well worth watching for two minutes!
Giving to the Poor
“Boxing Day was originally a holiday when the poor, tradespeople, and servants received gifts.”
National Geographic
Interesting, on the morning of December 26, a man came to our door and asked us for food—not money. This is the first time we had experienced this here in Spain.
We gave him a bag of food and then watched him from the window. He placed our bag of food in the basket on his bike and then proceeded to go from door-to-door in our neighborhood. Other neighbors also gave him bags of food.
I guess we were already practicing “Boxing Day” traditions, and we didn’t even know it!
Family, Friends, Food, and Football
I’m thankful to know that this holiday has nothing to do with the sport of boxing. At our company party, we didn’t put on our boxing gloves and duke it out among colleagues!
That would have been a horrible way to end the year!
Rather, we enjoyed and celebrated together a “Second Day of Christmas”—enjoying “Boxing Day” food, friends, and football (soccer, not American football)!
Happy Boxing Day!
—THE CULTURAL STORY-WEAVER
MY GIFT TO YOU—GET YOUR FREE EBOOK—“THE 5-DAY JOURNEY TO CULTURAL AWARENESS”!
LET’S WEAVE CULTURES!
Have you ever heard of “Boxing Day”? Do you celebrate it in your country or know someone who does?
We invite you to tell us your own cultural stories and global adventures . . . as you engage with the world, breaking down barriers, building bridges, and “weaving cultures!” Write about them in the comment box below.
