In the spirit many of us who use this day to return those undesired gift, many in United Kingdom, and other countries in the Commonwealth of Nations celebrate Boxing Day. Contemporary Boxing Day in many countries is now a "shopping holiday" associated with after-Christmas sales.
Historically, the day is named for St. Stephen's Day. Saint Stephen was the first Christian martyr, being stoned to death in Jerusalem around A.D. 34-35 - 26 December, which is a public holiday in most countries in Europe and many countries around the world with predominantly Christian populations. In the Eastern Orthodox Church, St Stephen's Day is celebrated on the 27th of December, although in Greece the Greek Boxing Day is also celebrated as a public holiday on the 26th of December and is not related to the English version.
It is usually celebrated on the 26th of December, the day after Christmas Day however, unlike St. Stephen's Day, Boxing Day is not always on the 26th of December, its associated public holiday can be moved to the next weekday if the 26th of December is a Saturday or Sunday. The movement of Boxing Day varies between countries.
....So head out to those malls and big box stores for your Boxing Day celebration!
Been 'celebrating' Boxing Day for years,
Bashy!
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