Depends what Boxing Day is, it might just be a name. The wikipedia article is a confusion of Boxing Day, St Stephen's Day, and other names. The article is really just about the 26th of December - wiki.
More naming uncertainty: found a BBC page with according to the url a recipe for St. Stephen's Day pie. But when you go to the page they've called it "turkey and ham pie, a classic Boxing Day recipe". No mention of St Stephen. ~ pie
I'd say Boxing Day is quite well known but depending where you are not necessarily a holiday or publicly referred to. St Stephen's Day is part of the Church calendar but also not necessarily a public holiday or publicly referred to. I read that the 26th of December used to be, commercially, 'the deadest day of the year', but is now a mad shopping day. That's apparently true whatever you call it ~ lewiston sun 1960.
But did anyone hunt a wren? There's also supposed to be a fox hunt but these days only in Ireland.
It is unlucky to kill a wren on any day apart from Boxing Day. Hunting of the Wren on Boxing Day was once a popular activity in England. Groups of young boys know as 'Wren boys' would hunt a wren and then tie the dead bird to the top of a pole, decorated with holly sprigs and ribbons. With blackened faces, the group would sing at houses in hopes for coins, gifts or food. This odd ritual was not restricted to England. It was prevalent in some continental countries on Boxing Day as well as the Isle of Man, Wales and Ireland ~ link.
Apparently in America they do indeed in some jobs at least just go back to work on the 26th, but I guess that like here there are some people who get to have the full 2 weeks off over Christmas and New Year. They definitely don't do Boxing Day, I have had American contacts wonder what I'm on about when I mention Boxing Day and I made that the subject of a radio interview.
I can't imagine it really, Christmas Day can be pretty rushed and demanding with all the family commitments, present delivering and the whole Christmas dinner so it's great having Boxing Day as that buffer day to just lie in, relax, enjoy your new presents and watch a bit of TV. OK some people probably end up having to do another half of their family that they missed out on yesterday, but I have to wonder don't Americans find that a bit stressful, they have to do everything for Christmas and then have to go straight back to work the next day in many cases!
There's another thing about Boxing Day apparently it should strictly speaking actually be today, as Boxing Days that fall on a Sunday historically didn't count until Monday.
Would I be right in thinking that Christmas isn't such a big thing in the USA anyway as it comes close on the heels of the Thanksgiving celebrations?
It's just as big there.
NY at Christmas is done up like London only moreso. Americans seem to make an even bigger fuss of Christmas Eve and don't really pay much heed to Boxing Day.
My cousin who lives in Delaware has put a message on her Facebook page today, about an hour ago - i.e. nearly noon her time, saying she has just arrived at work due to the delays because of the snow - not sure what her normal hours are but it's an ordinary office-type job. So she's definitely at work today. The US stock exchanges are trading, and I believe most of the European bourses were trading as normal today as well.
My cousin who lives in Delaware has put a message on her Facebook page today, about an hour ago - i.e. nearly noon her time, saying she has just arrived at work due to the delays because of the snow - not sure what her normal hours are but it's an ordinary office-type job. So she's definitely at work today. The US stock exchanges are trading, and I believe most of the European bourses were trading as normal today as well.
In our US office, Xmas Day and New Year's Day are holidays. If you want any extra time off you can take it out of your *10 day* annual vacation entitlement. Most people will be back to work on the 26th as they prefer to save their meagre vacation days for the summer unless they have taken extra time off to visit family out of town.
In our UK office, most people have taken the full two weeks off from 17 Dec to 4 Jan.
I remember in a The Simpsons special Christmas Message they made for the UK, Homer sang a short song and the last line was "What the hell's the deal with boxing day?", so no they don't.
In our US office, Xmas Day and New Year's Day are holidays. If you want any extra time off you can take it out of your *10 day* annual vacation entitlement. Most people will be back to work on the 26th as they prefer to save their meagre vacation days for the summer unless they have taken extra time off to visit family out of town.
In our UK office, most people have taken the full two weeks off from 17 Dec to 4 Jan.
There's another thing about Boxing Day apparently it should strictly speaking actually be today, as Boxing Days that fall on a Sunday historically didn't count until Monday.
They do celebrate Boxing Day in Canada it seems.
The last time Boxing Day was moved from Sunday to Monday was in 1993.
Since 1999, If Christmas Day was on a Saturday, then Boxing Day Was indeed on a Sunday, with a substitute holiday on the 27th for Christmas Day, and the 28th for Boxing Day.
Yet some events like the "Boxing Day Hunts" are still held on the Monday the 27th
My own son went out to the States to live and he tells us that only Christmas Day is a holiday and banks open the next day but as Boxing Day was on Sunday they got two days of but do not forget that in November they were scoffing roast turkey on Independance Day. If he wants Christmas Crackers we have to send them to him also if you want to buy a tea pot over there, well you might as well look for Hen's Teeth as they will be found first.
fugitive
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No, and neither is Halloween. It's a list of all "notable" days.
More naming uncertainty: found a BBC page with according to the url a recipe for St. Stephen's Day pie. But when you go to the page they've called it "turkey and ham pie, a classic Boxing Day recipe". No mention of St Stephen. ~ pie
I'd say Boxing Day is quite well known but depending where you are not necessarily a holiday or publicly referred to. St Stephen's Day is part of the Church calendar but also not necessarily a public holiday or publicly referred to. I read that the 26th of December used to be, commercially, 'the deadest day of the year', but is now a mad shopping day. That's apparently true whatever you call it ~ lewiston sun 1960.
But did anyone hunt a wren? There's also supposed to be a fox hunt but these days only in Ireland.
I can't imagine it really, Christmas Day can be pretty rushed and demanding with all the family commitments, present delivering and the whole Christmas dinner so it's great having Boxing Day as that buffer day to just lie in, relax, enjoy your new presents and watch a bit of TV. OK some people probably end up having to do another half of their family that they missed out on yesterday, but I have to wonder don't Americans find that a bit stressful, they have to do everything for Christmas and then have to go straight back to work the next day in many cases!
There's another thing about Boxing Day apparently it should strictly speaking actually be today, as Boxing Days that fall on a Sunday historically didn't count until Monday.
They do celebrate Boxing Day in Canada it seems.
It's just as big there.
NY at Christmas is done up like London only moreso. Americans seem to make an even bigger fuss of Christmas Eve and don't really pay much heed to Boxing Day.
In our US office, Xmas Day and New Year's Day are holidays. If you want any extra time off you can take it out of your *10 day* annual vacation entitlement. Most people will be back to work on the 26th as they prefer to save their meagre vacation days for the summer unless they have taken extra time off to visit family out of town.
In our UK office, most people have taken the full two weeks off from 17 Dec to 4 Jan.
Our US colleagues think we are workshy layabouts.
They may have a point.
Do They Know It's Christmas Time in Africa?
Indeed. There are reasons why the US is the most powerful economy in the world.
I'm only taking 2 full weeks off as I had so much holiday entitlement left over and unable to carry it all forward.
Maybe because they are not Federal Holidays, though I have no clue why April Fools' Day is there.
The last time Boxing Day was moved from Sunday to Monday was in 1993.
Since 1999, If Christmas Day was on a Saturday, then Boxing Day Was indeed on a Sunday, with a substitute holiday on the 27th for Christmas Day, and the 28th for Boxing Day.
Yet some events like the "Boxing Day Hunts" are still held on the Monday the 27th
http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Governmentcitizensandrights/LivingintheUK/DG_073741
Well theyre talking absolute bollocks.
People in the UK work some of the longest hours (and have fewer Bank Holidays) than most of our European neighbours.
If they were still celebrating Independence Day in November then it might explain why Americans are so fat