Ever wondered why it’s called Boxing Day, and where the tradition actually comes from?

For some, Boxing Day is all about stretching out Christmas a little longer. It's a time for leftover bubble and squeak, catching up with family you didn’t see on the big day, or heading out for a long winter walk. For others, it’s synonymous with the start of the Boxing Day sales, an opportunity to pick up some extra treats once the presents have been unwrapped. But, while bargain-hunting has become a modern ritual, the origins of Boxing Day tell a different story.

Christmas Day and Christmas Eve are fairly self-explanatory, but Boxing Day has a more layered history, shaped by charity, class and custom.

Why is the day after Christmas Day called Boxing Day?

The name Boxing Day is thought to come from a time when wealthy households would box up gifts, money or leftover food to give to servants and those in need. Traditionally, servants worked on Christmas Day itself, before being given the following day off to visit their families, often taking a “Christmas box” with them.

Churches also played a role. Donations were collected in alms boxes during the festive period and distributed to the poor on the day after Christmas, reinforcing the link between Boxing Day and giving.

The Oxford English Dictionary notes the earliest use of the term 'Boxing Day' in Britain in the 1830s, defining it as a day when workers such as postmen and servants would expect to receive a Christmas box. This places the term firmly in the Victorian era, a period that shaped many of the Christmas traditions we still recognise today, from decorated trees to Christmas cards.

Before 'Boxing Day' became common, December 26 was widely known as St Stephen’s Day, or the Feast of Saint Stephen. The carol Good King Wenceslas famously references “the feast of Stephen”, tying the day to acts of generosity and care for the poor.

Saint Stephen is recognised as Christianity’s first martyr, and his feast day has long been associated with charity and giving, which aligns closely with the later Boxing Day traditions.

How is Boxing Day celebrated?

Today, Boxing Day is often associated with sport, particularly football and rugby . In fact, this is one of the reasons it's become a Bank Holiday. Historian Mark Connelly tells History Extra, “This is partly because football made such a big ‘thing’ of Boxing Day that many people took time off anyway, and gradually during the course of the 20th century more and more employers realised that business would generally slow during this period and so, in effect, turned a blind eye to people taking the time off. Taking the 26th off then became a custom in its own right.”

It's also often referred to as the start of 'Twixtmas' - those cosy days between Christmas and New Year, when we all eat a lot of cheese and forget what day of the week it is.

For many people, Boxing Day is also linked to sales shopping, a ritual that started in the 1990s when Sunday and Bank Holiday trading laws were relaxed by the government. Nowadays, retailers discount stock from Christmas onwards, with many sales running well into January.