Boxing Day: Why do we celebrate it in Australia?

·

Have you ever wondered why we celebrate Boxing Day, or what the story behind it is?

For many, when you hear the words ‘Boxing Day’ or see the date December 26, the first thing to come to mind is shopping… right?

Well, The Greek Herald has decided to dive into Boxing Day’s history and find out why its recognised as an annual holiday globally.

Boxing Day is a term that comes from British origins and it is celebrated in British Commonwealth countries around the world, including Australia, Canada and New Zealand.

Britannica Dictionary defines it as a holiday upon which “servants, tradespeople, and the poor traditionally were presented with gifts. By the 21st century it had become a day associated with shopping and sporting events.”

Although there is not one specific definition to the holiday, one of the theories behind the story of Boxing Day is that on December 26th centuries ago, manor lords and aristocrats would put together Christmas boxes filled with small gifts, money and leftovers of Christmas feasts to distribute to their servants and employees.

boxing day
Boxing Day 2022 on Pitt St Mall. Photo: Seb Haggett.

This was seen as a token of appreciation for their good service for the year, basically like a holiday bonus. The servants would also get the day off, to go home and be with their families.

The other popular theory, which is most commonly known, is that Boxing Day was a holiday where boxes of left-over food from Christmas was distributed to the poor. They would be first placed in churches during the Advent season and on December 26, clergy members would hand them out.

Now in Australia, Boxing Day is a holiday where shopping centres extend their trading hours, people wait in queues for hours and they shop till they drop for good deals.

Although it might be a long day out, and one that’s frustrating due to the lack of parking in the car parks, the large crowds and the heat, the 50 per cent off sales and discounts on this day make it worth it for some.

Boxing Day is also a day where people watch Boxing Day edition sports matches such as soccer and cricket, and where they visit friends and family they missed out on seeing the day before on Christmas.

Advertisement

Share:

KEEP UP TO DATE WITH TGH

By subscribing you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.

Advertisement

Latest News

GOCNSW holds fruitful first meeting with new Consul General George Skemperis

The Greek Orthodox Community of NSW hosted the new Consul General of Greece in Sydney, Georgios Skemperis, in a productive meeting.

Silent heroes and bright futures: Supporting Greek language education in Victoria

Over the past month or so a few articles have appeared discussing the current and future state of the Greek language in Victoria.

Archbishop Makarios pays tribute to Elder Vasilios Gontikakis, influential Athonite theologian

Elder Vasilios Gontikakis, former Prior of the Iviron Monastery (1990–2005) and the Stavronikita Monastery (1968–1990) on Mount Athos, died.

Greek basketball stars bring Panathinaikos spirit to Melbourne’s Stalactites

Melbourne’s iconic Greek restaurant Stalactites hosted Panathinaikos stars Nikos Rogkavopoulos and Jerian Grant on Wednesday, September 17.

Australian Championship secures landmark multi-platform broadcast deal with SBS

Football Australia and SBS today announced a landmark multi-year, multi-platform agreement to broadcast the Australian Championship.

You May Also Like

Betty Alexandropoulou on trade and double taxation agreement between Australia and Greece

Betty Alexandropoulou from Enterprise Greece discussed the issue of trade during the 'Greek Australian Dialogue Series' on Monday afternoon.

Customs and traditions in celebration of Panagia

On August 15th, Greek Orthodox Christians across the world celebrate the Assumption of the Virgin Mary. Commonly referred to as 'Panagia' and 'Dekapentavgoustos', meaning 'August...

Adelaide’s Greek community mourns death of Greek-Australian police officer

The Greek Orthodox Community of South Australia expressed its 'deepest condolences' on the death of Chief Superintendent Joanne Shanahan (nee Panayiotou).