Without looking in Wikipedia, can you describe where the name of this holiday comes from?
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Without looking in Wikipedia, can you describe where the name of this holiday comes from?
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And today is the day I box up the canned goods that we were given by the food kitchen – that we will not use in the next few weeks – to pass on to others who can use them. But then we do that every month.
No kings and serfs here. Just hungry people all around. Guess there’s a Box It Up Day in America after all.
Good King Wenceslaus
Good King Wenceslas looked out
On the feast of Stephen
When the snow lay round about
Deep and crisp and even
Brightly shone the moon that night
Though the frost was cruel
When a poor man came in sight
Gath’ring winter fuel
“Hither, page, and stand by me
If thou know’st it, telling
Yonder peasant, who is he?
Where and what his dwelling?”
“Sire, he lives a good league hence
Underneath the mountain
Right against the forest fence
By Saint Agnes’ fountain.”
“Bring me flesh and bring me wine
Bring me pine logs hither
Thou and I will see him dine
When we bear him thither.”
Page and monarch forth they went
Forth they went together
Through the rude wind’s wild lament
And the bitter weather
“Sire, the night is darker now
And the wind blows stronger
Fails my heart, I know not how,
I can go no longer.”
“Mark my footsteps, my good page
Tread thou in them boldly
Thou shalt find the winter’s rage
Freeze thy blood less coldly.”
In his master’s steps he trod
Where the snow lay dinted
Heat was in the very sod
Which the Saint had printed
Therefore, Christian men, be sure
Wealth or rank possessing
Ye who now will bless the poor
Shall yourselves find blessing
Hmmm, I understood it to be the day the church poor box was evenly distributed amongst all the needy of the local parish by the local priest. I’ve never heard of the lord/serf/servant version before.
Dianae has it right. It’s a lord and serf kind of thing, where the day after Christmas the household would make boxes of stuff, and the serfs, servants, tradesmen and workers (I guess depending on the era) would each get their box. Quaint old Britishism.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boxing_Day
It’s also St Stepehn’s Day.
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BoxIng Day came to denote the boxing of foodstuff and gifts for the servants after the Holiday was done. Maybe a dayoff for them too.
ooh..pick me pick me……I know – it’s the day we throw away the boxes from all the Christmas gifts the day before.
……..ok fine. musta been a long day today (Christmas 10pm)……..someone’ll give a straight answer. hehheh.
no.
lol. only that it’s Canadian. hmmm… because it’s the day we box up the left-overs?