Boxing Day…gifts, hangovers and shopping binges

Despite its misleading name, Boxing Day has nothing to do with the noble sport of boxing. In the Anglo-Saxon world, the name is derived from the tradition of boxing up presents for the less fortunate. 

In some parts of Britain some people still prepare a Christmas tip for postwomen, paperboy or milkman, however in Malta not much remains of this very British tradition, despite 164 years of colonisation.

Nowadays in Malta, the day after Christmas is more about unwrapped presents, alcohol and food hangover management, shopping and maybe enjoying an extra day off.

In the past, employees and servants received gifts from their employers, known as a "Christmas box" hence the term Boxing Day.

Today, Boxing Day is better known as a bank holiday on 26 December in the UK and some of its former colonies such as Hong Kong, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and some other Commonwealth nations.

The exact etymology of the term "boxing" is unclear. The European tradition, which has long included giving money and other gifts to domestic servants and needy persons has been dated to the Middle Ages, but the exact origin is unknown.

The tradition possibly dates back to the late Roman/early Christian era, where 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 day after Christmas.

A clue to this tradition also appears in the Christmas Carol, "Good King Wenceslas."

Tradition has it that, Wenceslas I, who was the Duke of Bohemia in the early 10th century and is nowadays considered the patron saint of the Czech Republic was surveying his land on St. Stephen's Day when he saw a poor man gathering wood in the middle of a snowstorm.

Moved, Wenceslas gathered up surplus food and wine and carried them through the blizzard to the peasant's door.

In the UK, it was a custom in the Victorian age, for tradesmen to collect "Christmas boxes" of money or presents on the first weekday after Christmas as thanks for good service throughout the year.

This custom is linked to an older English tradition, in which poorly paid employees were granted time to visit their families on the day after Christmas by their masters, after spending Christmas Day serving their rich masters.

The employers would give each servant a box to take home containing gifts and bonuses, and sometimes leftover food to share with their families.

In addition, in the 19th century, churches in the UK opened their alms boxes and distributed the contents to the poor.

During the Age of Exploration between the early 15th century and the 17th century, when European sailing ships set off to discover new lands, a Christmas box was a good luck charm.

Priests placed boxes on ships while they where still in port, in which crewmen, dropped money in the box to ensure a safe return.

The box was then sealed and kept on board for the entire voyage and if and when the ship returned home safely, the crew gave the box to the priest in exchange for the saying of a Mass of thanks.

The priest would then keep the box sealed until Christmas, and then opened it to share the contents with the poor the day after.

Nowadays, some people give an extra tip or little gift to their paperboy or waste collectors. In some countries, employees receive a Christmas bonus together with their bonus.

More recently, Boxing Day signals the start of the annual sales in which shops often offer dramatic price reductions.

For many shop owners, Boxing Day has become the day of the year with the greatest amount of returns and customers look to strike some bargain at their favourite store, spend the extra cash received and maybe finally get hold of some item they had been eyeing for weeks.