BOXING DAY

[Dr. Goodword]

• Boxing Day •

Pronunciation: bahk-sing dey • Hear it!

Part of Speech: Noun phrase

Meaning: No, it isn't a day we traditionally get into the ring, though children overjoyed at the bounty of Christmas might have gotten a boxing of the ears in days past. It is the first weekday following Christmas, the traditional day for giving gifts to servants and employees in the English-speaking world.

Notes: England, Australia, New Zealand, and Canada still observe December 26 as an official holiday. If the day after Christmas is Saturday or Sunday, Boxing Day is the following Monday.

In Play: Boxing Day is also known as the Feast of St. Stephen, the first Christian martyr. It originated in 19th century England under Queen Victoria, when it was the day "on which postmen, errand boys, and servants of various kinds received a Christmas box of contributions from those whom they serve," in the words of Charles Dickens. If you come from one of the unfortunate English-speaking nations that do not recognize Boxing Day, just remember that it comes right after "unboxing" day, Christmas.

Word History: Boxing Day is probably the day after Christmas because servants often worked on Christmas. It was called "Boxing Day" because it was the day when a box was filled with Christmas gifts and delivered to service providers. (We hope our old friend Grogie of the Alpha Agora, had a wonderful holiday as a reward for suggesting today's very topical, seasonal phrase.)

[Slava]

One of our regular words, it gets done every year. Replies and discussions are in several places. Here they are:

2006: http://www.alphadictionary.com/bb/viewt ... ght=boxing

2007: http://www.alphadictionary.com/bb/viewt ... ght=boxing

and: http://www.alphadictionary.com/bb/viewt ... ght=boxing

It looks like it got posted twice, once with a small "b", once with a capital. Strange that it should make any difference, as it doesn't in searches. Computers, go figure.

2009: http://www.alphadictionary.com/bb/viewt ... ght=boxing

This one from 2005 and the one from 2008 went without comment.

[LukeJavan8]

Something is wrong here, Or I don't understand.
There were a number of posts under this, and now
they have disappeared , or, are they under the
above posts from slava elsewhere?