Boxing Day

VIEWPOINT

By RALPH HARDIN

Evening Times Editor

So, when I was a kid, I learned (I think it was from an episode of M*A*S*H) about Boxing Day, which, in case you didn’t know, is actually today, as it is every 26th of December.

Fun fact: You know that song, the “12 Days of Christmas” right? Well, Boxing Day is actually the liturgical “2nd Day of Christmas,” according to traditional Christmastide calendars.

If words like “liturgical” and “Christmastide” are new to your vocabulary, I assure you that you are not alone. But yes, I always thought that the “12 Days of Christmas” was, like the 12 days leading up to Christmas with the gifts getting bigger and more elaborate (although the five gold rings is probably pretty pricey and it’s right there in the middle of the song).

But no, it actually starts on Christmas Day and runs through the 5th of January according to some guidelines from the Catholic

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Church dating back to the Council of Tours in 567 A.D. And no, in case you’re wondering, there is not some official guidelines involving various types of birds or performing laborers in increasing quantities. That’s just a song that came along later.

But anyway, Boxing Day is the “second day of Christmas” and while there aren’t any turtle doves required, it is pretty much the only one of the Christmastide that is widely observed outside of Christmas Day itself. And it’s not really much of a thing here in the U.S., with the limited exception of parts of Massachusetts, but it is pretty big in Canada, Great Britain and former British Empire nations like Australia, New Zealand and South Africa.

So, what is it? Well, traditions have changed and evolved over the years, but these days it’s almost like the “Giving Tuesday” that has become a thing over the past few years following Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, Cyber Monday and such.

But there’s also a sort of Black Friday feel to it as there are definitely “Boxing Day” sales, where I guess folks can spend all the money they found in their stockings on Christmas.

But, I guess in addition to running around from store to store trying to save money on Legos and bath towels and , you go and visit the less fortunated and give them gifts and money.

The name comes from the Middle Ages when there would be boxes left out for people to put their donations into, thus “boxing” day. In the 1800s, it became custom for the rich folks to “switch” roles with their hired help, doing the chores and waiting on their servants and that sort of thing, which is kind of cool even if it probably was done in a way back in the day that was a little pandering toward the lower class.

I actually think it’s pretty neat bur I guess if Boxing Day was ever going to be a thing here it already would be. Well, I guess I do kind of already have a Boxing Day of sorts because this is the day I haul all of the empty boxes left behind from Christmas frenzy out to the trash.