Today, December 26th, is celebrated as Boxing Day in a handful of countries. According to the website Christmas Customs, Boxing Day started in the UK over 500 years ago. The following is a short quote from the website about Boxing Day:
It was the day when the alms box, collection boxes for the poor often kept in churches, were traditionally opened so that the contents could be distributed to poor people. Some churches still open these boxes on Boxing Day.
It might have been the Romans that first brought this type of collecting box to the UK, but they used them to collect money for the betting games which they played during their winter celebrations!
In Holland, some collection boxes were made out of a rough pottery called ‘earthenware’ and were shaped like pigs. Perhaps this is where we get the term ‘Piggy Bank’!
The Christmas Carol, Good King Wenceslas, is set on Boxing Day and is about a King in the Middle Ages who brings food to a poor family.
It was also traditional that servants got the day off to celebrate Christmas with their families on Boxing Day. Before World War II, it was common for working people (such as milkmen and butchers) to travel round their delivery places and collect their Christmas box or tip. This tradition has now mostly stopped and any Christmas tips, given to people such as postal workers and newspaper delivery children, are not normally given or collected on Boxing Day.
We don’t celebrate boxing day-nor do I know anyone who does. But I did get a whole set of small boxes for Christmas.
On the last day of school before Christmas break, Chatter and Chitter’s school had a school wide party. Chatter said while most of the kids ran around acting crazy-she went to the area set up as a craft center and learned how to make the adorable paper boxes from another student’s Mom.
Chatter put my handmade necklace in the smallest box and then put the boxes inside each other like a set of nesting dolls.
If anyone is interested in learning how to make the boxes-let me know and I’ll see if Chatter will show us how-she says it’s easy.
Tipper
Growing up in California, of course I heard of Boxing Day. There’s a saying, no one is actually born in California, we all moved there. My mom and aunts friend was from Scotland so she celebrated it. Mostly it’s for drinking. I can’t remember what she cooked. I was born in Canada and spent 3 years there. As an adult I started celebrating Boxing Day. I cook a potato and cabbage pancake. I put in any kind of leftover meat. It’s called bubble and squeak. I also make Welsh Rarebit. It is toast with a cheese sauce on top and then broiled. I will be 68 tomorrow, I still pay a little attention to Canada news, but not much. I do enjoy food from other places. Have a wonderful New Year. Anna from Arkansas.
Very interesting info.. I’d love to know how she makes those boxes.
I’m interested!
Making those boxes sounds like a good plan. I would like to learn how also. What kind of necklace did your daughter make for you? I made, using different beads, Christmas bracelets for my family and for the grandchildren of a neighbor. Hope you had a wonderful day, yesterday. We are having rain today; I guess you are having some white fluff. Your Boxing Day information was very interesting. I knew about the UK, but not the other areas.
Tipper,
I don’t do too much gift wrappin’
anymore, but if Chatter has the
time, I’d like to know how to make
boxes too.
When I first saw the title on today’s topic, I thought to myself
“Why in the world is Tipper talking about Price Fighting?”
…Ken
I learned how to make tiny, tiny boxes from a greeting card several years ago. Would love to see how your dauaaghter makes them.
What a lovely gift your daughter gave you. I would love to see how the boxes are made.
I would like to see how those little boxes are made. I could probably make one but, no way I could make several and they would nest inside another. Also, I would like to see what one of those necklaces looks like.
Merry Christmas to the Blind Pig family and all the Acorns a day late! Just have power back and we are expecting up to 10 inches of snow by tonight. So, we would love to learn how to make these boxes because we’ll be snowed in for a little while!Thank you Tipper, your blog is a special gift to all of us!!
I got a necklace for Christmas in one of those boxes Chatter made. They are lovely and…..she taught me how to make them!
When I was a teen, I read Regency romances. I heard of Boxing Day there and investigated its meaning. Guess reading those books served some purpose after all. Your daughter did a great job with the boxes. They are lovely. I would like to learn how they are made for my grandsons would enjoy making them in more masculine colors. Keep warm on this blustery day.
Tipper,
Tell your sweet daughter, that I would love to see how see makes those boxes. I could see putting a small present in the last box and nesting together and wrapping them all.
I wonder if her way could be adapted to heart shaped boxes for Valentine’s Day?
Thanks Tipper, I have read about boxing day, and don’t know anyone who celebrates the day. There are a lot of folks that give food boxes in our area before Christmas as well as toy boxes.
Indeed, those little nesting dolls are beautiful. I’ll bet the boxes go back as far as the dolls. But I will refrain from signing up to make the beautiful boxes! HAPPY BOXING DAY!
Eva Nell
I would love to learn. What a sweet gift!
aha! I got to give Boxing Day wishes to my Irish friends yesterday (they are visiting Australia so were 16-17hours ahead of us). Love to see a demo of the boxes.
I would love to know how to make those boxes!!
cool looking boxes and indeed Chatter should do a demo—hope you and the blind pig gang are able to continue to be blessed during this season of the year.
Thanks for the information. I’d always assumed that Boxing Day was about people beating one-another’s brains out. I’m happy to know otherwise! lol
Interesting story, I did not realize what ‘boxing day’ was. I am an avid reader of old English mysteries I always thought it was a day off for the servants of the manor house. Something new everyday.
Can I sign up? I would love to know how to make those sweet little boxes. They remind me of the Russian nesting dolls. At least I think that is what they are called.