View source for Boxing Day

{{Short description|Commonwealth nations holiday on 26 December}}
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{{Redirect|Christmas box|the genus of shrubs|Sarcococca}}
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{{Use British English|date=December 2016}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2024}}
{{Infobox holiday
| holiday_name  = Boxing Day
| nickname      = Offering Day<ref name = "Robb1984" />
| longtype      = [[Bank holiday]], [[public holiday]]
| image         = Eaton_Centre_Boxing_Day,_2019.jpg
| caption       = Boxing Day crowds shopping at [[Toronto Eaton Centre]] in 2019
| observedby    = [[Member states of the Commonwealth of Nations|Commonwealth nations]]
| frequency     = Annual
| date          = 26 December
| scheduling  = same day each year
| relatedto     = {{ubl|Day of Goodwill|[[Saint Stephen's Day]] (concurrent)|[[Christmastide|Second Day of Christmastide]]}}
| type          = International
}}

'''Boxing Day''', also known as '''Offering Day''', is a [[holiday]] celebrated on 26 December, the day after [[Christmas|Christmas Day]].<ref name="Robb1984"/> Boxing Day was once a day to donate gifts to those in need, but it has evolved to become a part of Christmas festivities. It originated in the [[United Kingdom]] and is celebrated in several [[Commonwealth of Nations|Commonwealth]] nations. The attached [[bank holiday]] or [[public holiday]] may take place on 27 or 28 December if necessary to ensure it falls on a weekday.<!-- Do not expand this in the Lead; it is explained correctly in the Date sub-section--> Boxing Day is usually concurrent with the Christian festival [[Saint Stephen's Day]].

In parts of Europe, such as east [[Spain]] ([[Catalonia]], [[Valencia]] and the [[Balearic Islands]]),<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.vilaweb.cat/noticies/sant-esteve-les-raons-mil%C2%B7lenaries-duna-festa |title=Sant Esteve, les raons mil·lenàries d'una festa |trans-title=St. Stephens day, millenary explanations of a festivity |website=vilaweb.cat |date=27 December 2015 |language=ca |access-date=1 November 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite encyclopedia |encyclopedia=Gran Enciclopèdia Catalana |title=Esteve (sant) |url=https://www.enciclopedia.cat/ec-gec-0025280.xml |access-date=29 January 2025 |language=ca |year=1987 }}</ref> the [[Czech Republic]], [[Germany]], [[Austria]], [[Hungary]], the [[Netherlands]], [[Italy]], [[Poland]], [[Slovakia]],<ref name="slovakia-second-christmas-day">{{cite news|date = 26 December 2016|title = Druhý sviatok vianočný je aj dňom návštev|language = sk|trans-title = The second day of Christmas is also the day of visits|work = [[SME (newspaper)|SME]] / MY Zvolen|url = https://myzvolen.sme.sk/c/6648231/druhy-sviatok-vianocny-je-aj-dnom-navstev.html|access-date = 11 December 2020}}</ref> [[Slovenia]], [[Croatia]], [[Denmark]], [[Finland]], [[Romania|Catholic Romania]], [[Sweden]], [[Belgium]], [[Norway]], [[Latvia]] and the [[Republic of Ireland]], 26 December is Saint Stephen's Day, which is considered the second day of Christmas.<ref name="Second Christmas Day">{{cite book|pages=21|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6w6u6YTsDdcC&pg=PA21|title=Christmas Facts, Figures & Fun: Facts, Figures and Fun|isbn=978-1-904332-27-5|last1=Brown|first1=Cameron|year=2006| publisher=Facts, Figures & Fun }}</ref>

== Etymology ==
While the holiday's roots can be traced back to Britain, where Boxing Day is also known as St. Stephen's Day, the origin of the term itself is not definitive.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.snopes.com/holidays/christmas/boxingday.asp|title=snopes.com: Boxing Day Origins|website=[[Snopes.com]]|date=7 November 2000 }}</ref>

The European tradition of giving money and other gifts to those in need, or in service positions, has been dated to the [[Middle Ages]], but the exact origin is unknown; it may refer to the [[Poor box|alms box]] placed in the [[narthex]] of Christian churches to collect donations for the poor. The tradition may come from a custom in the late [[Ancient Rome|Roman]] and [[History of Christianity|early Christian]] era, wherein alms boxes placed in churches were used to collect special offerings tied to the [[Saint Stephen's Day|Feast of Saint Stephen]],<ref name=":0">Collins, 2003, p. 38.</ref> which, in the [[Western Christianity|Western Christian Churches]], falls on the same day as Boxing Day, the second day of [[Christmastide]]. On this day, it is customary in some localities for the alms boxes to be opened and distributed to the poor.<ref name="Robb1984">{{cite book |last1=Robb |first1=Nancy |title=Mid-winter festivals: anthology of stories, traditions, and poems |date=1984 |publisher=S.E. Clapp |page=27 |language=en |quote=St. Stephen's Day or Boxing Day: Boxing Day, or Offering Day as it is sometimes called, derives its name from the ancient practice of giving boxes of money at the midwinter holiday season to all those who had given good service throughout the year. Boxing Day, December 26, was the day the boxes were opened. Later, it was the day on which the alms boxes, located in the churches on Christmas Day, were opened and the contents given to the poor.}}</ref><ref name="FaustSach2002">{{cite book |last1=Faust |first1=Jessica |last2=Sach |first2=Jacky |title=The Book of Christmas |date=2002 |publisher=Citadel Press |isbn=978-0-8065-2368-2 |language=en |quote=Yet another legend is that Boxing Day started the tradition of opening the alms boxes placed in churches during the Christmas season. The contents of the alms boxes were then distributed amongst the poor of the parish.}}</ref>

The ''[[Oxford English Dictionary]]'' gives the earliest attestation from Britain in 1743, defining it as "the day after Christmas day", and saying "traditionally on this day tradespeople, employees, etc., would receive presents or gratuities (a 'Christmas box') from their customers or employers."<ref name=":1">{{Cite OED|Boxing Day|id=22316}}</ref>

The term "Christmas box"<ref>{{Cite OED|Christmas box|id=32481}}</ref> dates back to the 17th century, and among other things meant:

<blockquote>A present or gratuity given at Christmas: In Great Britain, usually confined to gratuities given to those who are supposed to have a vague claim upon the donor for services rendered to him as one of the general public by whom they are employed and paid, or as a customer of their legal employer; the undefined theory being that as they have done offices for this person, for which he has not directly paid them, some direct acknowledgement is becoming at Christmas.</blockquote>

In Britain, it was a custom for tradesmen to collect "Christmas boxes" of money or presents on the first weekday after Christmas as thanks for good service throughout the year.<ref>''Encyclopædia Britannica'', 1953 "Boxing day"</ref> This is mentioned in [[Samuel Pepys]]' diary entry for 19 December 1663.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/1663/12/19/ |title=Saturday 19&nbsp;December 1663 (Pepys' Diary) |date=19 December 2006 |publisher=Pepysdiary.com |access-date=26 December 2010}}</ref> This custom is linked to an older British tradition in which the servants of the wealthy were allowed the next day to visit their families since they would have had to serve their masters on Christmas Day. The employers would give each servant a box to take home containing gifts, bonuses, and sometimes leftover food. Seasonal gratuities to local service workers became an established practice in Britain by the 18th century.<ref>{{cite web |title=Holiday broadsides: When tip requests were sheer poetry |url=https://www.londonmuseum.org.uk/blog/victorian-broadsides-christmas-holiday-tipping-poetry/ |website=London Museum |access-date=29 December 2025}}</ref>

== Date ==
[[Saint Stephen's Day]], a [[religious holiday]], also falls on 26 December.<ref>"Boxing Day". ''American Heritage Dictionary'', Fourth Edition.</ref><ref>{{cite press release |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2004/11_november/17/radio4_sun26.shtml |title=Radio 4 Christmas 2004 highlights |publisher=[[BBC]] Press Office |date=17 November 2004 |access-date=27 December 2020}}</ref>

In the United Kingdom, Boxing Day could not fall on Sunday 26 December. Instead, Boxing Day would be celebrated on Monday 27 December, with the preceding Sunday called Christmas Sunday. This rule was independent of the rule of bank holidays being taken in lieu. Over time Sunday 26 December increasingly became referred to as Boxing Day.

Unlike the contemporary understanding of Boxing Day itself, the associated [[bank holiday]] or [[public holiday]] always falls on a weekday. When 25 December falls on a Saturday and 26 December falls on a Sunday, the Christmas Day substitute holiday is observed on Monday 27 December, with the Boxing Day substitute holiday observed on Tuesday 28 December. When Christmas Day is a Sunday, the Boxing Day holiday is still observed on Monday 26 December, with the substitute holiday for Christmas Day observed on Tuesday 27 December.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.gov.uk/bank-holidays|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201228122638/https://www.gov.uk/bank-holidays|title=UK bank holidays|website=GOV.UK|archive-date=28 December 2020|access-date=31 December 2021}}</ref>

The Banking and Financial Dealings Act 1971, which regulates UK bank holidays, does not officially name the 26 December bank holiday as Boxing Day, but states that it falls on "26th December, if it be not a Sunday."<ref name="sch1">[http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1971/80 Banking and Financial Dealings Act 1971], Schedule 1, The National Archives. Retrieved 6 December 2023.</ref>

== Status by country ==
* In Australia, Boxing Day is a public holiday in all jurisdictions except the state of [[South Australia]], where a public holiday known as [[Proclamation Day (South Australia)|Proclamation Day]] is celebrated on the first weekday after Christmas Day or the Christmas Day holiday.<ref>{{cite web|title=Public holidays|url=https://www.safework.sa.gov.au/resources/public-holidays|website=SafeWork SA|date=12 December 2022 |publisher=Government of South Australia |access-date=26 December 2024}}</ref> Both the [[Boxing Day Test]] [[Test cricket|cricket]] match held at the [[Melbourne Cricket Ground]] and The [[Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race]] begin on Boxing Day.
* In Canada, Boxing Day ({{langx|fr|link=no|le Lendemain de Noël}}) is a federal statutory holiday for employees of federally-regulated industries or workplaces.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.canada.ca/en/services/jobs/workplace/federal-labour-standards/vacations-holidays.html|title=Annual vacations and general holidays for employees working for federally regulated employers|publisher=Government of Canada|website=www.canada.ca|date=27 November 2024|access-date=26 December 2024}}</ref> It's also recognized as a statutory holiday in the province of [[Ontario]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ontario.ca/document/your-guide-employment-standards-act-0/public-holidays|title=Public holidays|publisher=King's Printer for Ontario|website=www.ontario.ca|date=8 July 2024|access-date=26 December 2024}}</ref> In [[New Brunswick]], Boxing Day is a holiday listed as a "prescribed day of rest" in the province's Days of Rest Act, but it is not a statutory holiday because it is not classified as a paid public holiday under New Brunswick's Employment Standards Act.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://stlawyers.ca/blog-news/statutory-holidays-new-brunswick/|title=Statutory Holidays in New Brunswick|website=stlawyers.ca|publisher=Samfiru Tumarkin LLP|date=2 December 2023|access-date=26 December 2024}}</ref>
* In Hong Kong, despite the [[Handover of Hong Kong|transfer of sovereignty]] from the UK to China in 1997, Boxing Day is a general holiday as the first weekday after Christmas.<ref>{{cite web|title=General holidays for 2007 – 2021|url=https://www.gov.hk/en/about/abouthk/holiday/|publisher=GovHK|access-date=26 December 2020}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Labour Department - Frequently Asked Questions|url=https://www.labour.gov.hk/eng/faq/cap57f_whole.htm|access-date=4 March 2021|publisher=Government of Hong Kong}}</ref> Starting in 2024, Boxing Day became a statutory holiday in the territory.
* In Indonesia, Boxing Day is not a public holiday, but since 2023 was included as a "[[Cuti bersama|joint holiday]]" ([[Indonesian language|Indonesian]]: cuti bersama)<ref>{{Cite web |date=16 December 2022 |title=Muhadjir Effendy Klarifikasi soal 26 Desember: Bukan Cuti Bersama |url=https://www.tempo.co/politik/muhadjir-effendy-klarifikasi-soal-26-desember-bukan-cuti-bersama-238915 |access-date=2025-05-12 |website=Tempo |language=id}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |publisher=CNN Indonesia |date=8 December 2023 |title=Pemerintah Tegaskan Selasa 26 Desember Cuti Bersama Hari Raya Natal |url=https://www.cnnindonesia.com/nasional/20231208130632-20-1034635/pemerintah-tegaskan-selasa-26-desember-cuti-bersama-hari-raya-natal |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240206034623/https://www.cnnindonesia.com/nasional/20231208130632-20-1034635/pemerintah-tegaskan-selasa-26-desember-cuti-bersama-hari-raya-natal |archive-date=2024-02-06 |access-date=2025-05-12 |work=nasional |language=id-ID}}</ref> 
* In [[Ireland]], when the entire island [[History of Ireland (1801–1922)|was part of]] the [[United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland|United Kingdom]], the [[Bank Holidays Act 1871]] established the 26 December as a bank holiday.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.berr.gov.uk/whatwedo/employment/bank-public-holidays/bank-public-holidays/page18882.html|title=History of Bank & Public Holidays|publisher=Department for Business Enterprise & Regulatory Reform|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081207051825/http://www.berr.gov.uk/whatwedo/employment/bank-public-holidays/bank-public-holidays/page18882.html|archive-date=7 December 2008|access-date=14 December 2008}}</ref> The day is referred to as [[Saint Stephen's Day]] in most of Ireland, and as Boxing Day in most of [[Ulster]] (especially in [[Northern Ireland]] and [[County Donegal]]).<ref>Boxing Day tragedy in Donegal as man dies in crash (''Donegal News'', 26 December 2019). https://donegalnews.com/2019/12/boxing-day-tragedy-in-donegal-as-man-dies-in-crash {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221222161005/https://donegalnews.com/2019/12/boxing-day-tragedy-in-donegal-as-man-dies-in-crash/ |date=22 December 2022 }}</ref><ref> Donegal couple devastated after losing home in Boxing Day fire (''Donegal Daily'', 29 December 2017). https://www.donegaldaily.com/2017/12/29/donegal-couple-devastated-after-losing-home-in-boxing-day-fire/</ref><ref>{{cite web | title=Boxing Day/St. Stephen's Day - Which is more common in Donegal?| website=boards.ie | date=24 December 2009 | url=https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2055778576/boxing-day-st-stephens-day-which-is-more-common-in-donegal}}</ref>
* In New Zealand, Boxing Day is a statutory holiday. On these holidays, people who must work receive {{frac|1|1|2}} times their salaries, and a day in lieu is provided to employees who work.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.govt.nz/browse/work/public-holidays-and-work/working-on-public-holidays/ | title=Working on public holidays | publisher=New Zealand Government | access-date=25 December 2017}}</ref>
* In Nigeria, Boxing Day is a public holiday for working people and students. When it falls on a Saturday or Sunday, there is always a holiday on the following Monday.<ref>{{cite web|title=Holidays in Nigeria in 2017|url=https://www.timeanddate.com/holidays/nigeria/|website=Time and Date|access-date=1 June 2017}}</ref>
* In Scotland, Boxing Day has been specified as an additional bank holiday since 1974, by [[royal proclamation]] under the [[Banking and Financial Dealings Act 1971]].<ref>{{London Gazette |issue=46377 |date=18 October 1974 |page=9343|title=BY THE QUEEN - A PROCLAMATION - APPOINTING THURSDAY, 26TH DECEMBER 1974 A BANK HOLIDAY IN SCOTLAND ...}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | title=Public and bank holidays | website=mygov.scot | access-date=28 December 2022 | url=https://www.mygov.scot/scotland-bank-holidays}} Lists past and upcoming bank holidays, frequently updated.</ref>
* In Singapore, Boxing Day was a public holiday for working people and students; when it fell on a Saturday or Sunday, there was a holiday on the following Monday. However, Boxing Day is no longer a public holiday.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://sso.agc.gov.sg/Act/HA1998?ProvIds=Sc-#Sc-|title=Holidays Act (Chapter 126)|date=30 December 1999|work=Singapore Statutes Online|access-date=5 November 2021}}</ref>
* In South Africa, 26 December is the [[Day of Goodwill]], a public holiday.<ref>{{cite web|title=Public holidays in South Africa|url=https://www.gov.za/about-sa/public-holidays|publisher=South African Government|access-date=26 December 2020}}</ref>
* In Trinidad and Tobago, Boxing Day is a public holiday.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Public Holidays|url=https://www.ttconnect.gov.tt/gortt/portal/ttconnect/!ut/p/a1/jdDBDoIwDAbgp-FKC8tUvHFARUwMGBV2MWjmwCAjY4KPL3ozKNpbm-9P_hQYxMDKtMlFqnNZpsVzZ6NDENpIfYfgOkQH7ci3PKQBmY9JB5I3EM1nHfCotQh2BBH_y-OXcX_mN7yEPbBBtqQ90K_5AgM9lsBEIY-vnyRueSQTAUzxM1dcmTfVnTOtq3pqoIFt25pCSlFw8ySvBn6KZLLWEL9LqK7b-O5faNGs3AdjOzzp/dl5/d5/L0lDU0lKSWdrbUEhIS9JRFJBQUlpQ2dBek15cXchLzRKQ2hEb01kdEJnY2huQVZHRUEhL1o3X0tRMjA1STkzMEc5VTEwMlJRQU43SkkzT0UwLzA!/?WCM_PORTLET=PC_Z7_KQ205I930G9U102RQAN7JI3OE0029275_WCM&WCM_GLOBAL_CONTEXT=http://www2.ttconnect.gov.tt/gortt/wcm/connect/gortt+web+content/ttconnect/non-national/topic/travelandtourism/general+information/public+holidays|access-date=4 March 2021|website=Government of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago}}</ref>
* In the UK outside Scotland, 26 December (unless it is a Sunday) has been a [[bank holiday]] since 1871. When 26 December falls on a Saturday, the associated public holiday is on the following Monday, 28 December. When 26 December falls on a Sunday, the public holiday is the following Tuesday 28 December, with the "substitute day" for Christmas Day being observed on the Monday. The same practice is observed in Canada.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.year-planner-calendar.co.uk/2010-public-holidays.htm|title=Year Planner Calendar; 2010 |publisher=hraconsulting-ltd.co.uk |year=2010 |access-date=22 April 2017}}</ref>
* In the British overseas territory of Bermuda, the costumed [[Gombey]] dancers perform throughout the mid-Atlantic island on Boxing Day, a tradition believed to date back to the 18th century, when slaves were permitted to gather at Christmas.<ref>Johnston-Barnes, Owain. [http://royalgazette.com/news/article/20171226/gombeys-dance-on-boxing-day Gombeys dance on Boxing Day], [[The Royal Gazette (Bermuda)|The Royal Gazette]] (26 December 2017). Retrieved 27 December 2017.</ref>
* In [[Massachusetts]], US, Governor [[William F. Weld]] declared in 1996 that every 26 December is Boxing Day, in response to the efforts of a coalition of British citizens to "transport the English tradition to the United States",<ref>[https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1914&dat=19961224&id=W9QgAAAAIBAJ&sjid=7WoFAAAAIBAJ&pg=5966,3916623&hl=en "Massachusetts celebrates Boxing Day", Associated Press, ''Sun-Journal'', Lewiston, Maine, 26 December 1996].</ref> but not an employee holiday.<ref>{{cite web|title=Massachusetts Federal and State Holidays 2017|url=https://publicholidays.us/massachusetts/|publisher=Public Holidays Global Pty Ltd|access-date=1 June 2017}}</ref> The holiday is otherwise not widely celebrated in the United States.

== Shopping ==

[[File:Boxing Day at the Toronto Eaton Centre (cropped).jpg|thumb|right|Boxing Day crowds shopping at the [[Toronto Eaton Centre]] in Canada, 2007]]

In the United Kingdom,<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/this-britain/boxing-day-sales-soar-as-shoppers-flock-to-malls-429935.html |title = Boxing Day sales soar as shoppers flock to malls |author = Terry Kirby |date = 27 December 2006 |access-date =17 December 2009 | location=London |work=The Independent }}</ref> Canada,<ref name="ctv.ca">{{cite web |url=http://www.ctv.ca/CTVNews/CTVNewsAt11/20051226/boxing_day_051226/ |title=Boxing Day expected to rake in $1.8&nbsp;billion |date=26 December 2005 |access-date=17 December 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101228163816/http://www.ctv.ca/CTVNews/CTVNewsAt11/20051226/boxing_day_051226 |archive-date=28 December 2010 }}</ref> Australia,<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/2014/12/26/boxing-day-sales-top-2bn-retailers | title = Boxing Day sales to top $2bn: retailers | date=26 December 2014|access-date =26 December 2014 | publisher =[[Special Broadcasting Service]]}}</ref> New Zealand,<ref>{{cite web | url = http://i.stuff.co.nz/business/75337680/boxing-day-still-big-for-bargain-hunters-despite-prechristmas-retail-sales | title = Boxing Day still big for bargain hunters despite pre-christmas retail sales | date=21 December 2015 |access-date =22 December 2015 | publisher=Stuff}}</ref> and Trinidad and Tobago, Boxing Day is a popular shopping holiday. Boxing Day sales are common, and shops often allow dramatic price reductions. For many merchants, Boxing Day has become the day of the year with the greatest revenue. In the UK, it was estimated in 2009 that up to 12 million shoppers appeared at the sales (a rise of almost 20% compared to 2008, although this was also affected by the fact that the [[VAT]] was about to revert to 17.5% from 1 January, following the temporary reduction to 15%).<ref>{{cite news|url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/8432144.stm |title=Boxing Day sales attract 'record' number of shoppers |work=BBC News |date=28 December 2009 |access-date=26 December 2010}}</ref>

Many retailers open very early (typically 5&nbsp;am or even earlier) and offer [[doorbuster]] deals and [[loss leader]]s to draw people to their stores. It is not uncommon for long queues to form early in the morning of 26 December, hours before the opening of shops holding the big sales, especially at [[Big-box store|big-box consumer electronics]] retailers.<ref name="ctv.ca" /> Many stores have a limited quantity of big draw or deeply discounted items.<ref name="toronto.ctv.ca">{{cite web |url=http://toronto.ctv.ca/servlet/an/local/CTVNews/20071213/boxing_day_071213?hub=EdmontonHome |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090827232435/http://toronto.ctv.ca/servlet/an/local/CTVNews/20071213/boxing_day_071213?hub=EdmontonHome |url-status=dead |archive-date=27 August 2009 |title = How to become a Boxing Day shopping pro |date = 25 December 2007 |author = Ashleigh Patterson |access-date =17 December 2009}}</ref> Because of the shoulder-to-shoulder crowds, many choose to stay at home and avoid the hectic shopping experience. Local media often covers the event, mentioning how early the shoppers began queuing up and showing videos of shoppers queuing and later leaving with their purchased items.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ctvnews.ca/toronto/article/boxing-day-begins-with-early-rush-of-bargain-hunters/ |title=Boxing Day begins with early rush of bargain hunters |author=toronto.ctv.ca |date=26 December 2007 |access-date=17 December 2009 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120106173035/http://www.ctv.ca/CTVNews/Canada/20071226/Boxing_Day_071226/ |archive-date=6 January 2012 }}</ref> Many retailers have implemented practices aimed at managing large numbers of shoppers. They may limit entrances, restrict the number of patrons in a store at a time, provide tickets to people at the head of the queue to guarantee them a hot ticket item, or canvass queued-up shoppers to inform them of inventory limitations.<ref name="toronto.ctv.ca" />

In Canada, Boxing Day was historically the largest retail shopping day of the year, particularly before the widespread adoption of Black Friday sales in the 2010s.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/boxing-day-black-friday-canada-1.4472157|title=How Black Friday overtook Boxing Day as Canada’s biggest shopping event|work=CBC News|date=26 December 2017|access-date=29 December 2025}}</ref> Major retailers traditionally offered deep post-Christmas discounts, and large crowds were common in shopping centres across the country.

In some areas of Canada, particularly in [[Atlantic Canada]] and parts of [[Northern Ontario]], most retailers are prohibited from opening on Boxing Day, either by provincial law or by municipal [[bylaw]], or by informal agreement among major retailers, to provide a day of relaxation following Christmas Day. In these areas, sales otherwise scheduled for 26 December are moved to the 27th.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.geschenkhexe.ch/media/archive/Boxing-Day-The-Debate-Continues.html|title=Boxing Day, The Debate Continues|author=soonews.ca|date=22 December 2007|access-date=26 December 2009|archive-date=17 May 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140517115539/http://www.geschenkhexe.ch/media/archive/Boxing-Day-The-Debate-Continues.html|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=26 December 2009|title=Boxing Day madness: shoppers descend on stores looking for deals|url=https://www.cp24.com/boxing-day-madness-shoppers-descend-on-stores-looking-for-deals-1.468130|access-date=8 April 2021|website=CP24|language=en}}</ref> The city council of [[Greater Sudbury]], Ontario, which was the largest city in Canada to maintain this restriction as of the early 2010s, formally repealed its store hours bylaw on 9 December 2014.<ref>[http://www.thesudburystar.com/2014/12/09/council-repeals-sudburys-store-hours-byline "Council repeals Sudbury's store hours bylaw"]. ''[[Sudbury Star]]'', 10 December 2014.</ref>

While Boxing Day is 26 December, many retailers run the sales for several days before or after 26 December, often up to New Year's Eve, branding it as "Boxing Week". Notably, in [[Late 2000s recession|the recession of late 2008]], a record number of retailers held early promotions because of the weak economy.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ctv.ca/CTVNews/TopStories/20081221/Shopping_Deals_081222/|title=Boxing Day comes early as shoppers search for deals|date=21 December 2008|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120106141332/http://www.ctv.ca/CTVNews/TopStories/20081221/Shopping_Deals_081222/|archive-date=6 January 2012|access-date=17 December 2009}}</ref> In 2009, many retailers with both online and [[High Street]] stores launched their online sales on Christmas Eve and their High Street sales on Boxing Day.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.geschenkhexe.ch/media/archive/IMRG-Press-Release-120m-to-be-spent-Online-on-Christmas-Day-2009.html|title=Many retailers' sales to start on Christmas Eve|author=IMRG|date=22 December 2009|access-date=22 December 2009|archive-date=17 May 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140517120205/http://www.geschenkhexe.ch/media/archive/IMRG-Press-Release-120m-to-be-spent-Online-on-Christmas-Day-2009.html|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/topics/christmas/6858609/Boxing-Day-sales-start-on-Christmas-Eve.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220110/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/topics/christmas/6858609/Boxing-Day-sales-start-on-Christmas-Eve.html |archive-date=10 January 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|title=Boxing Day sales start on Christmas Eve|work=The Daily Telegraph|date=22 December 2009|access-date=22 December 2009|location=London}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

=== Comparisons to Black Friday ===

In terms of seasonal or holiday shopping traditions, Boxing Day sales have been compared to the US phenomenon of [[Black Friday (shopping)|Black Friday]] sales{{snds}}Black Friday being the Friday following the American [[Thanksgiving (United States)|Thanksgiving]] holiday in late November. In the late 2000s, when the [[Canadian dollar|Canadian]] and [[United States dollar]]s were near parity, many Canadian retailers began to hold Black Friday promotions in an effort to discourage shoppers from crossing the [[Canada–United States border|border]] to visit United States stores. This may have been a contributory factor, since 2013, in a relative decline of traditional Canadian Boxing Day sales, when compared with sales on Black Friday.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://financialpost.com/news/retail-marketing/inside-the-shopping-extravaganza-that-black-friday-has-become-in-canada|title=Inside the shopping extravaganza that Black Friday has become in Canada|date=23 November 2016|website=Financial Post|language=en-CA|access-date=7 January 2020|last1=Shaw|first1=Hollie}}</ref>

The traditional Boxing Day sales in the United Kingdom were never as large an event as the Black Friday sales are in the United States. However, many British retailers began to see an opportunity to import the Black Friday tradition into the UK, not to replace Boxing Day sales, but as an addition to their overall seasonal promotions. However, Black Friday and Boxing Day are close enough together that spending on one sale was likely to affect spending on the other. Ultimately, the result was a marked decline in traditional Boxing Day sales in the UK. The change was initially facilitated, although not necessarily by design, by U.S.-owned retailers such as [[Amazon (company)|Amazon]], and [[Asda]] (then a subsidiary of US-based [[Walmart]]). This phenomenon was furthered by a general decline in traditional high-street shopping and a growing online marketplace, which is more international by nature. This led, in 2015, to greater November retail sales in the UK than in December for the first time.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/business-46260739|title=Have eight years of Black Friday changed the UK?|last=Jones|first=Lora|date=21 November 2018|work=BBC News|access-date=7 January 2020|language=en-GB}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/business/2015/nov/26/what-is-black-friday-biggest-uk-shopping-day|title=What is Black Friday and who's to blame for it?|last=Ruddick|first=Graham|date=26 November 2015|work=The Guardian|access-date=7 January 2020|language=en-GB|issn=0261-3077}}</ref> In 2019, a retail analysis firm estimated that there was a 9.8% drop in British store traffic on Boxing Day in comparison to 2018 (the largest year-over-year drop since 2010), citing several factors, such as the weather, the increased prominence of [[online shopping]], uncertainties in the wake of the [[2019 United Kingdom general election|general election]], and the growing prominence of Black Friday sales.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/business/2019/dec/26/boxing-day-footfall-dip-blamed-on-poor-weather-and-black-friday|title=Boxing Day sales dip blamed on poor weather and Black Friday|last=Wood|first=Zoe|date=26 December 2019|work=The Guardian|access-date=7 January 2020|language=en-GB|issn=0261-3077}}</ref>

Boxing Day sales are not a prominent tradition in the United States, although many retailers often begin after-Christmas sales that day. It is typically the earliest starting day after Christmas for people to return unwanted gifts for exchanges or refunds and to redeem [[gift card]]s.<ref>{{Cite web|last=McCamish|first=Bethany|date=29 March 2021|title=What Is The Best Shopping Day After Christmas? We've Got The Answer|url=https://www.themoneymanual.com/what-is-the-best-shopping-day-after-christmas/|access-date=27 April 2021|website=The Money Manual|language=en-US}}</ref> Starting in the mid-2020s, American retailers began promoting their after-Christmas sales as “Boxing Day” or “Boxing Week” sales.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Chan |first1=Tim |title=The Best Boxing Week Sales to Shop This Year, From Abercrombie to Zappos |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/product-recommendations/electronics/best-boxing-day-sales-deals-2025-discounts-stores-online-1235490398/ |website=Rolling Stone |access-date=30 December 2025 |date=27 December 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Chivers |first1=Tom |title=Boxing Day takes off in the US |url=https://www.semafor.com/article/12/29/2025/boxing-day-takes-off-in-the-us |website=Semafor |access-date=30 December 2025 |date=30 December 2025}}</ref>

== Sport ==

[[File:MCG stands.jpg|thumb|[[Boxing Day Test]] at the [[Melbourne Cricket Ground]], 2006]]

[[File:Keswick Boxing Day hunt 1962.jpg|thumb|right|Boxing Day Meet of the Blencathra Foxhounds in Keswick, 1962]]

In the United Kingdom, it is traditional for the [[Home Nations]]' major [[Association football|football]] leagues (including, most prominently, the [[Premier League]],  [[Scottish Premiership]], and [[NIFL Premiership]]) to hold a full programme of fixtures on Boxing Day. Originally, matches on Boxing Day were played against [[local derby|local rivals]] so that teams and their fans would not have to travel long distances to away games on the day after Christmas. The 2022 [[Premier League]] Boxing Day fixtures saw the return of domestic top flight football for the [[2022-23 Premier League|2022–23 Premier League]] season, following the six-week break for the [[2022 FIFA World Cup]].<ref>{{Cite news |title=How the 2022 World Cup will affect the 2022/23 Premier League season |url=https://talksport.com/football/924633/how-will-2022-world-cup-affect-premier-league-fixtures-schedules-qatar-boxing-day-start-end-date/ |access-date=8 May 2022 |website=talkSPORT |language=en-US}}</ref>

In [[rugby league]], festive fixtures were a staple of the traditional winter season. Since the transition to a summer season in the 1990s, no formal fixtures are now arranged on Boxing Day but some clubs, such as [[Wakefield Trinity]], arrange a traditional [[local derby]] friendly fixture instead.

Since 1980, the [[Australia national cricket team|Australian cricket team]] has traditionally opened one of the [[Test cricket|test matches]] of its summer season [[Boxing Day Test|on Boxing Day]] at the [[Melbourne Cricket Ground]]. While several test matches had occasionally been held at the MCG around Boxing Day, it was not until 1980 that the concept was formalized by the [[Cricket Australia|Australian Cricket Board]].<ref>{{Cite news |date=24 December 2016 |title=The surprisingly short history of the Boxing Day Test |language=en-AU |work=ABC News |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-12-25/boxing-day-test-match-tradition-has-short-history-at-mcg/8135852 |access-date=11 October 2023}}</ref> The [[Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race]] is also traditionally held on Boxing Day.<ref>{{cite news |date=29 December 2001 |title=Tough legacy of a Sydney classic |work=BBC News |url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/other_sports/sailing/1721104.stm |access-date=24 May 2010}}</ref>

In horse racing, there is the [[King George VI Chase]] at [[Kempton Park Racecourse]] in Surrey, England. It is the second most prestigious [[National Hunt racing|chase]] in Britain, after the [[Cheltenham Gold Cup]]. In addition to the prestigious race at Kempton, in Britain, it is usually the day with the most racing meetings of the year, with eight in 2016, in addition to three more in Ireland.<ref>{{cite web|title=Racecards – 26th December 2016|work=Racing Post|url=https://www.racingpost.com/results/2016-12-26}}</ref> In Barbados, the final day of horse racing is held on Boxing Day at The Historic Garrison Savannah, a UNESCO world heritage site. This tradition has been going on for decades in this former British colony.

Boxing Day is one of the main days in the hunting calendar for [[List of foxhound packs of the United Kingdom|hunts]] in the UK and US, with most hunts (both mounted foxhound or harrier packs and foot packs of beagles or bassets) holding meets, often in town or village centres.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/earth/countryside/10538429/Hundreds-of-thousands-turn-out-for-Boxing-Day-hunts.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220110/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/earth/countryside/10538429/Hundreds-of-thousands-turn-out-for-Boxing-Day-hunts.html |archive-date=10 January 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |title=Hundreds of thousands turn out for Boxing Day hunts|date=26 December 2013 |work=[[The Daily Telegraph]] |location=London |access-date=21 December 2014}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

Several [[ice hockey]] contests are associated with the day. The [[IIHF World Junior Championship]] typically begins on 26 December, while the [[Spengler Cup]] also begins on 23 December in [[Davos]], Switzerland; the Spengler Cup competition includes [[HC Davos]], [[Canada men's national ice hockey team|Team Canada]], and other top European hockey teams. The [[National Hockey League]] traditionally had close to a full slate of games (10 were played in 2011<ref>{{cite web|title=NHL Hockey Schedule for December 26, 2011|url=http://www.nhl.com/ice/schedulebyday.htm?date=12/26/2011|access-date=27 August 2014}}</ref>), following the league-wide days off given for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. However, the 2013 collective bargaining agreement (which followed [[2012–13 NHL lockout|a lock-out]]) extended the league mandate of Christmas Eve and Christmas Day off to include Boxing Day, except when it falls on a Saturday, in which case the league can choose to make 23 December a league-wide off day instead for that year.<ref name="NHL CBA">{{cite web|title=National Hockey League CBA|url=http://www.nhl.com/nhl/en/v3/ext/CBA2012/NHL_NHLPA_2013_CBA.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/http://www.nhl.com/nhl/en/v3/ext/CBA2012/NHL_NHLPA_2013_CBA.pdf |archive-date=9 October 2022 |url-status=live |page=101—not digital page 101 but the printed 101 |publisher=[[National Hockey League]] |access-date=27 August 2014}}</ref> In Sweden, the related sport of [[bandy]] is also associated with the day, with [[Saint Stephen's Day bandy]] games having become an established tradition.<ref>{{cite web |title=Annandagsidrott med traditioner |url=https://www.sydsvenskan.se/2017-12-26/annandagsidrott-med-traditioner |access-date=1 March 2020 |website=Sydsvenskan|date=26 December 2017 }}</ref>

In some African [[Commonwealth of Nations|Commonwealth]] nations, particularly Ghana, Uganda, Malawi, Zambia, and Tanzania, [[professional boxing]] contests are held on Boxing Day. This practice has also been followed for decades in Guyana and Italy.<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB126179017496705483 | title = Season's Beatings: 'Boxing Day' Takes a Pugilistic Turn | access-date =14 November 2011 | last = Millman | first = Joel | date = 28 December 2009 | newspaper = [[The Wall Street Journal]] |edition=Asia}}</ref>

== Food ==
In the UK it is common to eat leftovers from the previous day's [[Christmas dinner]], with turkey often being used in a Boxing Day sandwich or curry.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Evans |first1=Hannah |title=What chefs put in their Boxing Day sandwiches (not just turkey) |url=https://www.thetimes.com/life-style/food-drink/article/boxing-day-sandwiches-christmas-2024-kcfn8njs7 |access-date=22 December 2025 |work=www.thetimes.com |date=26 December 2024 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Lindsay |first1=Jessica |title=The formula for the perfect Boxing Day sandwich from top chefs |url=https://metro.co.uk/2020/12/26/the-formula-for-the-perfect-boxing-day-sandwich-from-top-chefs-13802879/ |access-date=22 December 2025 |work=Metro |date=26 December 2020 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Sloan |first1=Pip |title=How to supercharge your Boxing Day turkey sandwich |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/recipes/0/supercharge-boxing-day-turkey-sandwich/ |access-date=22 December 2025 |work=The Telegraph |date=12 November 2019}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Cloake |first=Felicity |date=23 December 2019 |title=How to make the perfect turkey curry |url=https://www.theguardian.com/food/2019/dec/23/how-make-perfect-turkey-curry-christmas--recipe-felicity-cloake |access-date=13 March 2024 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Houlton |first1=Cara |date=16 December 2022 |title=Data: 13% of Christmas food is thrown away |url=https://www.grocerygazette.co.uk/2022/12/16/christmas-food-thrown-away/ |access-date=22 December 2025 |work=Grocery Gazette |quote=Waitrose found that 41% are looking to get creative in the kitchen to use up leftovers and although Christmas sandwiches are the most popular dish on Boxing Day, 39% will be opting for a curry}}</ref>

== See also ==
* {{Portal inline|Christianity}}
* {{Portal inline|Companies}}
* {{Portal inline|United Kingdom}}
* {{Portal inline|Australia}}
* {{Portal inline|Canada}}
* {{Portal inline|Hong Kong}}
* {{Portal inline|New Zealand}}
* {{Portal inline|South Africa}}

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
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[[Category:Boxing Day| ]]
[[Category:Christmastide]]
[[Category:Christmas events and celebrations]]
[[Category:December observances]]
[[Category:Public holidays in Australia]]
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[[Category:Public holidays in New Zealand]]
[[Category:Public holidays in the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Public holidays in Denmark]]
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[[Category:Public holidays in Norway]]
[[Category:Public holidays in Iceland]]
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