Everything You Were Told About the Origin of Boxing Day Was Wrong

 Boxing Day (Dec 26th) was created by and for cats.

The Proper Observance of the Honouriung of Cats is to set out three or four empty boxes (of varying size), one of which must be laced with a smattering of Cat Nip.

Failure to do so will subject you to occasional bed wetting in the coming year. Most cats have Doctorates in Revenge.

Miaow

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Today, 26th December 2020, has had the feel of a Boxing Day here in the United States. With Public Offices, Schools,  and Banks closed there has been a whiff of a holiday in the air.  (How many times did you check your mail box!)

Factoid  Until 1974 Boxing Day was a Holiday in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, but not in Scotland.  New Year's Day was a Holiday in Scotland, but not in the other parts of the United Kingdom.  Since  1974 each part of the U.K. has had Boxing Day and New Year's Day as Public  (or Bank) Holidays.

My youngest sibling Ruth was born on Boxing Day 1976.  Mum always made sure that Ruth had birthday cards, gifts and a cake each Boxing Day.  It's a birthday which is easy to overlook in the frenzy of Christmas. I've made it my business to send Ruth a birthday card, and to 'phone her birthday.  I did so this morning and got teary eyes because I love her so much.

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As I grew into my teens I learned to like Boxing Day more than Christmas Day.  The pressure was off.

I've always been an early riser so my day would often start with breakfast with Mum.  Lunch or dinner was great, usually with some leftover Chicken  (when Chicken was a rare treat), Bubble and Squeak (which I never truly liked), Pickled Onions and Pickled Red Cabbage and maybe some lettuce and tomato.  My memory is salivating!

When Mum and Dad were in their deeply religious (Evangelical) phase we would sometimes have friends from the Gospel Hall at our home in the evening.  Mince Pies, Sausage Rolls, Finger Sandwiches and hot tea.  Never so much as the smell of alcohol!

Mum could play the piano by ear.  We'd cajole her into doing so. She'd sit at the piano, play various chords -  and then she was off.  We'd sing Hymns and Christmas Carols, creating our own harmonies.

I too was deeply into Evangelical Christianity.    

Oh the pious innocence of those days.  The introduction of a Television into our home  (I think when I was sixteen years old) changed all that.