What is Boxing Day?
Boxing Day is the day after Christmas in the United Kingdom, the Channel Islands, Gibraltar, the Isle of Man and many other countries with historic ties to Britain, including Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Nigeria and Kenya, though the details vary by country and region. It is a bank or public holiday, and in practice it is a day of relaxation after Christmas, with family visits, walks, sport and shopping sales. The date coincides with the Second Day of Christmas and Saint Stephen's Day used elsewhere in Europe, but the British tradition has its own distinct identity, tied to leisure, sport and shopping rather than to church services.
Football on Boxing Day is a long-standing British tradition, and horse racing is another, including the King George VI Chase at Kempton Park. In Ireland the day is Saint Stephen's Day, although in much of Ulster it is called Boxing Day, and in much of continental Europe it is the Second Day of Christmas, so the holiday is shared but the name and the customs differ. In South Africa it has been called the Day of Goodwill since 1994. Some people also use the day for charity events, including fun runs and swims in cold water.
Why it is observed
The origin of the name is not settled. One explanation is that church alms boxes were opened on the feast of Saint Stephen and the money given to the poor. Another links it to the custom of giving a Christmas box, a gift of money or leftovers, to servants and tradesmen on the day after Christmas so that they could visit their families; Samuel Pepys mentions tradesmen collecting Christmas boxes in 1663. The Oxford English Dictionary records Boxing Day itself from 1743. The Bank Holidays Act 1871 made 26 December a bank holiday in the United Kingdom, which then included the whole of Ireland; Scotland gained its own additional bank holiday on the date in 1974.
How the date is set
Boxing Day is 26 December. If it falls on a weekend, the United Kingdom and several other countries that observe it give a substitute weekday off; in the United Kingdom that is Monday 28 December when it falls on a Saturday and Tuesday 28 December when it falls on a Sunday.
How it is observed
Many large retailers do open on Boxing Day, and it is known for post-Christmas sales, but banks, public offices and many smaller businesses close, and trains and buses run on a reduced timetable or not at all in parts of Britain. In 2027, 26 December is a Sunday, and the site lists a substitute day on Tuesday 28 December (Monday 27 December replaces Christmas Day, which falls on a Saturday). Pay and substitute-day entitlements depend on the country and the employment contract. Visitors planning journeys over the holiday period should check timetables in advance, since services on 26 December are often limited.
Sources
Gibraltar
Guernsey
Isle of Man
Jersey
United Kingdom