Let’s Box!

In the UK and in Commonwealth countries, December 26 is a holiday known as Boxing Day.  It is a statutory holiday, giving everyone a break after the hustle and bustle of Christmas.  I looked up the history of Boxing Day, and there seems to be a disagreement about the definite origin of the day.  There are a few theories, but these two seemed to come up often: servants would have to look after the family of the house on Christmas Day and in thanks the family would give them Boxing Day off, boxing up gifts and Christmas Day leftovers for the servants to enjoy with their families.  The other theory that I found was that throughout Advent – the four weeks before Christmas – boxes were placed in churches for donations.  On Boxing Day, the boxes were opened and the donations were distributed to the poor.

Today, it is celebrated in different ways in different countries.  I live in Canada, and here it is primarily a big shopping day.  Stores advertise their sales the week before, and in days past it used to be only one day.  There were great deals to be had, and people waited in line outside for hours to get the best deal on whatever they were looking for.  Once inside, it was what I like to call an “elbows out” situation:  Keep your elbows out so you don’t get pushed out of the way.  I don’t remember ever hearing about the fighting and rushing the store that we hear about on the news about Black Friday in the US, but it was definitely a day to bring your A game when it came to being aware of your surroundings and knowing what you were looking for, and not a day to browse.

It isn’t so much like that anymore – or maybe it’s just that I don’t shop on Boxing Day anymore.  Stores now have Boxing Week sales which I think disperses the crowd so not everyone is there on Boxing Day. You might not find exactly what you were looking for if you shop after Boxing Day, but you might have a little more of your sanity.  Of course, if you like shopping, Boxing Day could also be fun.  The anticipation, finding just the right thing, and then the satisfaction of knowing you got a great deal.

I like to go shopping with a friend during Boxing Week.  It is a good time to reconnect and enjoy some time together after the busy time of Christmas.  Ironic that I need Boxing Week for that, isn’t it?

But back to the origins of Boxing Day. While the holiday season is all about giving and charities rely on the goodwill of people at that time, I think that it is also a time where people are tired, have spent money on gifts, and may not have the money or energy to think about giving to anyone else.  But that isn’t all we have to give.  I have had times in my life where I didn’t have any money to give.  I just didn’t.  But what I could do was smile at a stranger on the street, be kind to the cashiers doing their very best at the busiest time of the year, and say please and thank you.

Maybe it’s time for us to remember that.  To be kind.  To pack up our boxes to give what we can.  If we can give to charity, wonderful.  Everyone has a cause that is important to them, and undoubtedly there is a charity for that cause that can use our help.  For some it is research to find a cure for a disease, for some, to help people in other countries, and for still others, it may be closer to home.  But let’s also smile at a stranger on the street, be kind to servers in restaurants and cashiers, and say please and thank you.

A thank you seems so small.  So unoriginal. But it means so very much to someone who is stressed and doing their best, just knowing that they are appreciated.  Maybe as much as those boxes of leftovers and gifts meant to those servants who worked so hard for the family on Christmas Day.

Thank you to all of you for reading my blog, and for being you.  I appreciate you.

Let’s box!