If This Be Boxing Day
Michael Collins
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A lot of Americans like to talk about Canada as being their "backwards" neighbour to the north. In a way, that´s true. We´re not big on individualism. We´re rarely assertive, and we think 
that this doubles for "nice." We´re pretty apathetic. And we´re frequently behind the times.
Take shopping, for example. In the United States, the busiest shopping day of the year, the day of the biggest and best sales, is called "Black Friday." Black Friday takes place immediately following the American Thanksgiving, and is seen as the first day of Christmas shopping. Up here in the vast frozen winter-lands of Canada, though, our biggest shopping day of the year is called "Boxing Day." You might have heard of it: it´s the first day immediately following Christmas. The great Canuck sense of economics dictates that people get a sale when they have the least number of dollars to spend, and very little motivation for going out. And the sales are usually Clearance sales, too, so you´re just buying the crap that you didn't want earlier in the year. Boxing Day is Bizarro Black Friday. And it doesn't just happen in Canada - most of the British commonwealth observes it, too.
But what was Boxing Day meant to stand for, originally? Why is it called that, and why do we need another day off after Christmas?
Take shopping, for example. In the United States, the busiest shopping day of the year, the day of the biggest and best sales, is called "Black Friday." Black Friday takes place immediately following the American Thanksgiving, and is seen as the first day of Christmas shopping. Up here in the vast frozen winter-lands of Canada, though, our biggest shopping day of the year is called "Boxing Day." You might have heard of it: it´s the first day immediately following Christmas. The great Canuck sense of economics dictates that people get a sale when they have the least number of dollars to spend, and very little motivation for going out. And the sales are usually Clearance sales, too, so you´re just buying the crap that you didn't want earlier in the year. Boxing Day is Bizarro Black Friday. And it doesn't just happen in Canada - most of the British commonwealth observes it, too.
But what was Boxing Day meant to stand for, originally? Why is it called that, and why do we need another day off after Christmas?
- Boxing Day came into being when British parliament passed the Bank Holidays Act in 1871.
- December 26 is known to Irish Catholics as "St. Stephen's Day."
- No one knows why it was called "Boxing Day."