What is Boxing Day? Why is it called Boxing Day?

WASHINGTON — As Christmas Day will get underway, the United Kingdom and British Commonwealth international locations are looking forward to Boxing Day on Monday.

Boxing Day is celebrated within the U.Okay. on Dec. 26, the day after Christmas. Despite the title, the vacation has nothing to do with the game of boxing or returning containers or presents. 

History.com explains that one principle of the vacation’s origin is that the day after Christmas was when containers crammed with small presents and cash could be given to family servants and workers who needed to work on Dec. 25. The presents have been meant as a thanks for his or her service all year long.  

Despite the vacation’s origin being unclear, Dictionary.com claims it has existed for the reason that 1700s.

As the vacation advanced through the years, it has turn into an extension of the Christmas season with household and buddies gathering to have a good time collectively. In the U.Okay. and different British Commonwealth international locations, Boxing Day is additionally one of the most popular shopping days of the year, rivaling Black Friday within the United States. 

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It ought to be famous, nevertheless, that Boxing Day has nothing to do with boxing or returning Christmas presents in containers. People within the U.Okay., nevertheless, have come to affiliate the vacation with soccer (soccer).

This yr, Boxing Day additionally marks the return of the Premier League season after it was paused for a month because of the World Cup.

There are seven Premier League matches scheduled for Boxing Day.

Former soccer participant and present TV analyst Robbie Earle described in a 2019 video that when he thinks of Boxing Day, he thinks of “the biggest game of the Premier League season.”