Happy Boxing Day! The post-Christmas day celebrated the day after Christmas in the UK and other parts of the Commonwealth, such as Canada. It's a kind of second Christmas for those working on the big day itself.
Traditionally, it was when the masters of a house would give presents (in boxes!) to their servants, after the servants had been doing all the grunt work for the Christmas feast. Master tradesmen would also give a 'Christmas Box' to their apprentices and employees.
Traditionally, it was when the masters of a house would give presents (in boxes!) to their servants, after the servants had been doing all the grunt work for the Christmas feast. Master tradesmen would also give a 'Christmas Box' to their apprentices and employees.
It's also the feast of St. Stephen, which is what Good King Wenceslas was looking out on in the carol. Wenceslas was actually a Duke of Bohemia, in modern Czech Republic. The main city square in Prague still bears his name. I managed to visit Prague last October. It's a beautiful city.
In my family, we continue the festivities, have a casserole or something for lunch, and see those family members who didn't join us on Christmas for whatever reason. We play more games, drink more wine and open more presents and all is well.
What did I get up to this year? A few of us got out of the city and went somewhere down the coast to a beach house we'd rented. I'm not sure exactly where we were; I didn't organise it and we stayed in and around the house and the beach, but it was a very nice little Christmas getaway.
It was a great sport, and I'd have dearly loved to have stayed for a few days, or even a week, but we all had to be back at work on Monday.
Not a bad place to spend Boxing Day.
It was a great sport, and I'd have dearly loved to have stayed for a few days, or even a week, but we all had to be back at work on Monday.
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