The day after Christmas, the Feast of St. Stephen, the first Christian martyr, is better known as Boxing Day. The term may come from the opening of church poor boxes that day; maybe from the earthenware boxes with which boy apprentices collected money at the doors of their masters' clients. Nowadays, we often see, in certain families, gifts (boxes) given to those who provide services throughout the year. "Boxing Day" is listed in the Canada Labour Code as a holiday. Found on: http://www.pch.gc.ca/progs/cpsc-ccsp/jfa-ha/boxing_e.cfm

It's not actually a celebration of anything. Like Easter Monday, it is a convenient day for a statutory holiday, a day for relaxing, recuperating or travelling home from celebrating the more major holiday of the previous day.

In Canada "Celebrated the day after Christmas, it is a British holiday (not celebrated in the US) that started over eight hundred years ago, back in medieval times when servants who worked on Christmas Day took the following day, Boxing Day off. But before leaving to spend time with their loved ones, the employers of these servants would present them with boxed gifts or Christmas boxes. Later it became also known as the day the rich gave gifts to the poor; as a form of charity, a tradition that is still being perpetuated. Actually, it is quite customary for residents to give small gifts to the postman (mailman), milkman, paper boy and so on. In addition, in some places of employment, some employers give Christmas bonuses to their employees on this day". ByJudy Ramsook (author of Karen's Adventure ) http://www.useless-knowledge.com/1234/dec/article426.html Boxing Day is also known as St. Stephen's Day He lived in Rome and was the first man to be killed for believing in the teachings of Jesus. His story is told in the Acts of the Apostles 6: 1 to 8: 2. Good King Wenceslas looked out, On the Feast of Stephen, When the snow lay round about, Deep and crisp and even; Brightly shone the moon that night, Tho' the frost was cruel, When a poor man came in sight, Gath'ring winter fuel. In the tradition of Boxing Day, the King is giving a gift to a lesser person he comes across - the gift of warmth, food and wine. King Wenceslas actually lived in the 900s, the Christian Duke of Bohemia, and was a good and well respected ruler. He was down to earth - stories tell of him in his youth helping harvest corn, and making bread and wine. http://www.wineintro.com/history/holidays/boxingday.html