Blog December 26th Boxing Day


Love Is Patient Love is Kind featuring Lucy Simpson- Maynard from the album Love is the Way recorded and produced by John Hodkingson

All at Mustard Seed Songs trust that you had a very happy Christmas and so now its Boxing Day. Why Boxing Day?
After a little research I leant that the origins of the holiday are a bit muddled, though the generally accepted theory is rooted in Victorian England.
During the reign of Queen Victoria, servants, tradespeople, and the poor typically were given presents. The servants worked on Christmas Day and would have the next day off to go visit their own families. So, according to the Old Farmer’s Almanac, the upper class would take leftover food, goods, or money and put them in boxes to give out to the poor.
Another theory says it derives from the opening of alms boxes provided by the church as opposed to gifts given by employers, according to Encyclopaedia Britannica.
The 26 also coincides with St. Stephen’s Day, a holiday celebrated in parts of Europe and named after the first Christian martyr who was known for helping the poor, according to Farmer’s Almanac.
While the holiday had its roots in giving back to the poor, like many modern celebrations, it’s shifted and become more associated with shopping and sports.
Boxing Day is an official bank holiday in Britain, Canada, New Zealand and most of Australia. While boxes aren’t typically given to the poor anymore, it’s not unusual for service employees to get bonuses around this time of year, says Britannica.
It’s typical for families to invite others over to enjoy a casual lunch made from Christmas Day leftovers. Many will also head out to stores to shop post-Christmas sales or make exchanges and returns.
Traditionally, sporting events included horse races, foxhunting, and rugby. Foxhunting was later modified or banned altogether, with football matches taking its place.
Many, including myself would say thank goodness that football matches took the place of fox hunting.

Quote of the week