What is Boxing Day?

Boxing Day is celebrated on December 26 every year in England, Ireland, Australia, Canada, Hong Kong, Kenya, New Zealand, South Africa and Trinidad. The holiday itself comes from servants who worked for the British upper class. The servants had to work on Christmas, but they left to see their families on the next day, bringing along a Christmas box from their employer.

Boxing Day is for spending time with family. For most people, it is synonymous with taking unwanted Christmas gifts back to the store and cashing in on sales. There are several Boxing Day sporting traditions in England, such as horse races, fox hunting and even swimming the English Channel.