So That Was Christmas

Happy Boxing Day to those of you who celebrate Boxing Day. When I first learned of Boxing Day, I imagined it was so called because it was the day everyone boxed up their unwanted or wrong sized Christmas presents and took them to the store return desks.

I have since learned that this is not the case at all. Boxing Day, for those who don't know, is traditionally the day when the landed gentry gave their servants the day off and presented them with small gifts and leftovers to take home to their families. The day became known as a time of generosity by the rich towards the poor.

I've also read that Anglican churches would, during Advent - the season leading up to Christmas Day, place boxes in the entryway to the church for people to donate coins for the poor. These boxes would be opened on the day after Christmas and the money would be distributed among the impoverished members of the parish.

These acts of charity were, you may have noticed, conducted by private citizens or the church. The government was not involved in helping the poor during the Victorian Age when Boxing Day came to be a thing.

In our modern age, when it comes to sharing the joy and gifts of Christmas with the poor, the burden still falls to the individuals, businesses, and churches "to make some small provision for those less fortunate," as the men attempting to collect a charitable donation from Scrooge were to have said.