Boxing Day is a holiday celebrated annually on December 26, primarily in the United Kingdom and Commonwealth nations like Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.
Origins and Name
Despite its name, the holiday has nothing to do with the sport of boxing. The term likely originated in Victorian England from two traditions.
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Servants who worked on Christmas Day were given the following day off to visit family and received “Christmas boxes” containing gifts, bonuses, or leftover food from their employers.
Many churches placed boxes to collect charitable donations throughout the year, which were then opened and distributed to the poor on December 26.
Modern Traditions
Today, Boxing Day is often a bank holiday focused on family gatherings and leisure activities.
It is a major retail holiday, similar to Black Friday in the U.S., featuring massive sales and discounts.
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It is a significant day for sports, featuring a full schedule of English Premier League football matches and major cricket events, such as the Boxing Day Test in Australia.
Boxing Day Triller from Manchester United vs Newcastle🔥⚽️
Enjoy.#BoxingDay #EPL pic.twitter.com/64csejeZah
— AKINWANDE (@iam_commando) December 26, 2025
Families typically eat casual meals using Christmas leftovers, such as turkey curry or “bubble and squeak.”
Observance Variations
In Ireland and some European countries, December 26 is celebrated as a religious holiday honoring the first Christian martyr.
In South Africa, the holiday was renamed the Day of Goodwill in 1994.
It is not widely celebrated in the U.S., though in 2025, an executive order proclaimed December 26 a federal holiday.
