The day after Christmas, I walked into work and was greeted heartily by my coworker with “Happy Boxing Day!” I hadn't thought about Boxing Day in years. As a kid I remember seeing it on the calendar and thinking that it must have something to do with people watching boxing matches the same way Thanksgiving is synonymous with watching lots of football. But upon hearing her greeting, I realized I didn’t have the foggiest idea what the day was actually all about. So I took the easy route and looked it up on Wikipedia.
There was nothing conclusive about the origins of the day and its name but I read the competing theories and learned about the European tradition, which dates back to the Middle Ages and historically involved giving money and other gifts to those who were needy and in service positions. Many references were made to boxes, among them: metal boxes being placed outside of churches used to collect offerings; employers giving their servants boxes of goodies to take home for their Christmas celebration (on the day after Christmas because they would have been serving their masters on Christmas day).
Regardless of how Boxing Day came about, the convoluted theories of its origin inspired the most wonderful idea...
Christmas has become such a glorified excuse for consumerism, which Benjamin and I are always seeking ways to detach from each year. Meanwhile, the lack for those in need does not relent during all of this Christmas consumerism. We have responded to these two realities by eliminating our participation in mindless gift giving, choosing simple and meaningful gifts, and giving to charities in need in lieu of purchased gifts. This year we added another component.
Because we have strived to eliminate extraneous possessions over the last many years, it has become more difficult to come across things in our home that we don’t use or enjoy. While it feels great to have reached that point, it occurred to me how wonderful it would be to really press myself, to turn my home upside down and seek out tucked away or overlooked items and to fill up a box (or boxes) with items to be donated so that they can do someone else some good instead of sitting there unused.
Boxing Day felt like the perfect day for such a project! In a season where homes across the country were gluttonous with the spoils of Christmas Day, I could actively seek to fill donation boxes not with unwanted Christmas presents, but with items I already owned that someone else could get more use or pleasure from than me! The fact that it was also in keeping with the convoluted origins of the day (involving boxes and donations) made it feel even more fitting and exciting.
Our first annual family Boxing Day celebration was a delight and we had a blast doing it. I am looking forward to many more years to come!