I Just Learned Why We Call It 'Boxing Day,' And It's Very Victorian

I grew up in Ireland, where many people refer to the day after Christmas (December 26) as “St Stephen’s Day”, which is the feast day for the patron saint of horses.

Historically, this was also Lá an Dreoilín, or the “Wren Day”. In the past, a wren would be hunted, killed and brought from door to door by “Wren boys”, who would sing a song and ask for money in exchange for burying the bird.

Those two might seem unrelated, but they’re not. Legend has it that a wren wronged St Stephen, flapping its wings and chirping in a bush in which the saint was hiding. 

That gave his location away; wrens were therefore linked to bad luck, and it was believed catching one would ensure better fortunes for the coming year.

This celebration is almost extinct today. But it does partly explain why I heard “St Stephen’s Day” so often as a kid. 

What about “Boxing Day,” though?

What does “Boxing Day” mean?

The BBC shared that “Boxing Day” was coined under Queen Victoria’s reign (this was when a lot of Christmas traditions really took root in the UK). 

On this day, rich people boxed up presents to give to the poor. 

It had also traditionally been a day off for servants, who “received a special Christmas box from their masters,” the BBC added (hard not to feel like the whole “servant/master” dynamic takes a little bit of the magic out of the present, though, huh?). 

Britannica said that not everyone agrees on which one of these events gave the holiday its name.

Apparently, churches were also involved in “Boxing Day”. Throughout the year, they collected donations in a box and – you guessed it – on 26 December, they gave the money to those in need. 

Some countries treat December 26 as a second Christmas 

The Netherlands, Hungary, Poland, and Germany treat December 26 as a second Christmas. 

Boxing Day, meanwhile, is celebrated in the UK as well as some Commonwealth countries, including Canada, Australia and New Zealand.