What is the origin of the holiday Boxing Day, and why don't we celebrate it in the States?

mk2norwich

Boxing day is also called St. Stephen's day, and is as far as I know, an exclusively British holiday. For info regarding its origins, see: http://www.web-holidays.com/boxing/ Nov 22 02, 6:02 AM

Brainy Blonde

It's a holiday in Canada as well, and a stat in most provinces. Nov 22 02, 6:50 AM

Tabby Tom

As for why it isn't celebrated in the US, this may be because it's not a very long established holiday. Christmas Day has been a holiday at common law in England for centuries, and would probably have been kept by most of the early British settlers in America (though some of the more puritanical mught have frowned on it). Boxing Day, however, was established as a 'bank holiday' only in 1871, by an Act of Parliament. Nov 22 02, 9:08 AM

col

As far as I know, Boxing Day is not a holiday in the whole of the UK. In Scotland it is not a holiday but they have January 2nd off in order to recover from the Ne'erday (new year day) celebrations. I have always been led to believe that Boxing Day was the day that the 'posh' folk gave a present (or box) to their servants. Even here in Oz some people still leave out a gift for the garbage collectors (usually beer) on Boxing Day (or the next collection day. Feb 07 03, 11:15 AM