Americans generally don’t celebrate Boxing Day, mainly because it is not included in the country's cultural or historical customs. Celebrated on December 26, the day following Christmas, Boxing Day has its roots in the United Kingdom and various regions of the British Commonwealth. Traditionally, it was a day for the affluent to present gifts (or "boxes") to employees, artisans, and those in need as a charitable act, signifying the ongoing spirit of Christmas giving.
Due to the unique holidays and traditions in the United States, including Thanksgiving and a significant emphasis on Christmas and New Year's festivities, Boxing Day never gained widespread popularity. The American emphasis on Christmas has eclipsed the Boxing Day custom, making the day after Christmas primarily a chance for individuals to relax, exchange gifts, or keep celebrating.
No Love for St. Stephen
Boxing Day, also known as St. Stephen's Day, is a holiday celebrated every year the day after Christmas. If Boxing Day falls on the weekend, it is observed the following Monday so that everyone gets a weekday free from work. About 30 countries celebrate Boxing Day, including nations in the Commonwealth such as New Zealand, Australia, Canada, and the United Kingdom. Some former British colonies like The Bahamas, Hong Kong, and South Africa also have made it a public holiday. Despite most English-speaking countries honoring Boxing Day as an official holiday, the United States has never adopted it as a national tradition.
What is Boxing Day?
Boxing Day's exact origin is unclear, but England made it an official bank holiday in the 1800s, and other English-speaking countries followed their lead. One theory about its origin dates back to the Middle Ages and claims that alms boxes were set in churches to collect gifts from the public to give to the less fortunate. Another theory says Boxing Day was created to give servants a day off, who usually worked on Christmas Day for their masters, as well as other employees who spent holidays on the job in professions such as mail delivery and household staff. Both theories support why many historians believe Boxing Day's roots are tied to the Christian St. Stephen's Day, the saint of charitable giving, as a way to help the less fortunate and support overworked communities throughout history.
Having evolved over time, Boxing Day and its meaning and traditions can vary depending on the country. In addition to charitable giving and a break for servants and employees, the day became associated with shopping and sales in many parts of the world, similar to Black Friday in the United States. For instance, in the UK and other Commonwealth countries, Boxing Day has become synonymous with big post-Christmas sales, where people flock to stores to take advantage of discounts and bargains.
In some cultures, Boxing Day is also a time for family gatherings and sporting events. In the UK, it is traditionally marked by football matches and horse racing, with the festive spirit continuing through outdoor activities and community celebrations.
Boxing Day Traditions
When Boxing Day first originated, it was during the era when Britain had a societal hierarchy. Servants and workers who had to labor through most national holidays like Christmas, Good Friday, and New Year's Day were presented with Christmas boxes filled with gifts from their bosses or masters on Boxing Day. They would take it home to their families to enjoy and have the day free from work.
People who observe Boxing Day today continue to provide gifts to service workers or the underprivileged, similar to past customs, but many celebration traditions have evolved over the modern era. As citizens enjoy a day away from work, sports competitions air on major television channels, featuring soccer, rugby, horseracing, and cricket matches as some of the most favored Boxing Day sporting events.
Those who celebrate Boxing Day today still choose to give gifts to service workers or the less fortunate like they did in traditional times, but most celebratory traditions have changed throughout the modern era. While citizens have the day off of work, sports events run on primetime television channels, with soccer, rugby, horseracing, and cricket matches among the most popular Boxing Day sporting events. Shopping centers have also capitalized on the holiday, starting their post-holiday discounts on Boxing Day and enticing residents to spend their day shopping. Pubs and bars in countries celebrating Boxing Day usually stay open as well, where friends and family gather for drinks. Others choose to stay home and enjoy the holiday by relaxing and eating leftover food from Christmas Day.
The United States and Boxing Day
The United States is one of the few English-speaking countries that does not recognize Boxing Day as an official holiday. If December 26th falls on a weekday, Americans often go back to work or have to use a vacation day if they choose not to work the day after Christmas.
Although Boxing Day is important in numerous nations, especially those linked to the British Commonwealth, the lack of recognition in the United States can be explained by the nation's historical and cultural divide from Britain. American customs and celebrations have developed separately over time, and although the essence of after-Christmas promotions and festive downtime remains, it is mainly manifested through lengthy shopping occasions like "Christmas sales" or "Post-Christmas markdowns."
There is no definitive reason why Americans do not celebrate Boxing Day, but there is also no reason why they would have adopted it. The American government did not see the need to adopt a public holiday from its former motherland nearly 100 years after becoming independent from them. The United States had already created its own holiday in November 1789, Thanksgiving Day, to give thanks for livelihood and good health throughout the year. The day after Thanksgiving, known as Black Friday, is also the United States' largest shopping and sales day of the year, instead of the day after Christmas as is the custom in England and other countries that celebrate Boxing Day. Since Boxing Day's inception, the United States has chosen to leave it off of their holiday calendar and will likely continue to do so.
