Despite the name, Boxing Day isn’t related to the sport of boxing or returning Christmas presents.
WASHINGTON — As Christmas Day gets underway, the United Kingdom and British Commonwealth countries are looking ahead to Boxing Day on Thursday.
Boxing Day is celebrated in the U.K. on Dec. 26, the day after Christmas. Despite the name, the holiday has nothing to do with the sport of boxing or returning boxes or presents.
History.com explains that one theory of the holiday’s origin is that the day after Christmas was when boxes filled with small gifts and money would be given to household servants and employees who had to work on Dec. 25. The gifts were meant as a thank you for their service throughout the year.
Despite the holiday’s origin being unclear, Dictionary.com claims it has existed since the 1700s.
As the holiday evolved over the years, it has become an extension of the Christmas season with family and friends gathering …