And being from the US, I have heard many explanations of this holiday, mostly from my Canadian friends... And from those of us that think we understand down here in the Lower 48....
Ya, its the day that we clear all the boxes out of the house from opening all of those Christmas presents yesterday.... There's paper and trash all over the place... We used to burn a lot of it in the fireplace when I was a kid.... The neighbors never knew, and we got some heat out of it..... but I digress.....
Nope not so!! Go read Snopes..........
Or what I was always told by some of my Canadian friends, its the day that you box all your stuff up you got that you didn't want and take it back.... Or its the after Christmas Sales..... Like Black Friday....... You know, inventory clearance........
Well not exactly, but that is probably what it has become in modern times....
But in England many of the stores are closed in observance of this holiday so that can't be it.... At least over there...
So after some research on this matter, I came upon the most plausible answer from centuries ago... It seems that the servant class of folks were busy taking care of their families on Christmas Day and didn't get any time to spend with their own families.... And these upper class people would put together a Box (present) for their workers, and give it to them on the day after Christmas.. And they got the day off to be with their own families... So it became a holiday.... The box contained money, as a bonus or tip for the workers as well as left over food from the feast on Christmas day....
Many of the lords would use the day for sporting events since their workers were gone for the day.....
Now I have read other places where they debunk this theory completely in lieu of more modern explanations....
But here in the US, and here in KC, I think we all used the day as a day to take stuff back... And see what the stores would have in the order of sales and deals..... But anyway when I went over to Wal Mart, it was jammed.... You would have thought it was black friday...
I gave up and didn't even park.... but as the evening progressed, Loyce needed a prescription picked up... And she didn't want to go.. So guess who was elected to this duty....
At least by now, I could park the car.. And I was only 4th in line for the pickup window...... But there were folks all over inside. Especially in the grocery aisles.... Didn't we just eat everything in sight yesterday??
And as I was checking out across from the customer service center, there were dozens of shopping carts lined up out in the aisle containing stacks and stacks of returned items... Some of it saleable and a lot of it copiously reboxed and returned as is..... I couldn't help but wonder what happens to such merchandise.... Not that Wal Mart isn't the most profitable business on the planet... But what do they do with all of that stuff.....?
I have seen clearance aisles in Wal Mart at times with bright red price tags on held over merchandise.... Perhaps that is where this stuff ends up....
So if your Canadian, what does boxing day mean to you...? And if your from the US, did you take a lot of stuff back and stand in nasty long lines today???
Retired Rod
Since we don't give each other Christmas gifts, Boxing Day doesn't mean much anymore. There are usually a lot of sales though so I did go out for a bit yesterday and bought a few things I probably didn't need.
ReplyDeleteI think you hit a lot of nails on the head Rod, Boxing Day is, and has been all the things you mention. Today for us, or rather yesterday now, it is just another day that we avoid the crush in the stores and enjoy the fine winter weather down here at Dogpound South.
ReplyDeleteRod, I think your explanation of Boxing Day as a day that British aristocracy gifted servants is the official and correct version.
ReplyDeleteToday, Boxing Day is nothing else but an extraordinary sales event but even it is losing some of its special appeal. That's because retailers, just like with Black Friday in the U.S., are expanding it to the point where it's now a multi-day event - i.e. Boxing Week sales.
Another reason for lack of special day treatment is booming on-line sales. For instance, Best Buy and Future Shop, now open their online sales on Christmas Eve at 6pm EST. These sales then go on unstopped right through Boxing Day and you can virtually buy anything you could in the stores except you don't have to wait outside the store in lines to get in and you don't have to fight the crowds once you are in. It's way more civilized.
Me? I didn't go to any stores on Boxing Day nor did I buy anything on line.
Rod - I was out to Target with our kids yesterday, our oldest daughter exchanged a jacket for another color and I purchased wrapping paper and Christmas Cards at 50% off and saved $27.00. So we are all set for next year and covered two of your definitions of Boxing Day.
ReplyDeleteI try to not even set foot outside the house on Boxing Day. The idea of going to a store AGAIN after Christmas is just lost on me. Besides, there are on line Boxing Day deals to be had. Why go out?
ReplyDeleteHa - never knew exactly what Boxing Day was --- thanks for the history lesson. Hope you all had a great Christmas.
ReplyDeleteI remember how cold it was in KS when I lived there for 5 years. There was still snow on the ground when I left there in March of 1969. KS in the Winter is a good place TO BE FROM.... Away from!
ReplyDeleteBeing from England, I thought our version of Boxing Day was that it is the day when they have many boxing matches. Time off to see them in person in days of yore, and now it's sit around and watch them on TV.
There is no way I am going near Walmart for a while, even though I have some items to return.
Happy Tails, and Trails, Penny.