What is Boxing Day?

26 December is a public holiday across a surprisingly diverse range of traditions. In the United Kingdom and most of the Commonwealth (Australia, Canada, New Zealand, South Africa), it is known as Boxing Day. The name most likely derives from the tradition of opening church alms boxes for the poor on this day, or from the practice of servants and tradespeople receiving a "Christmas box" — a gift from their employers the day after Christmas.

In Ireland and many continental European countries the day is St. Stephen's Day, honouring Stephen, the first Christian martyr, who was stoned to death shortly after the death of Jesus. In Germanic and Nordic countries it is simply the Second Day of Christmas (Zweiter Weihnachtstag in German), part of the twelve-day Christmas season.

Today Boxing Day in the Commonwealth is associated with sports — notably test cricket in Australia and horse racing at Kempton Park in the UK — and with post-Christmas retail sales. It is a statutory public holiday across the Commonwealth and in much of continental Europe, making the Christmas–Boxing Day stretch one of the longest guaranteed holiday periods of the year.