Boxing Day - 26th December

 Here in the UK, we have Boxing Day - the day after Christmas Day. 

The custom began in England during the Middle Ages. Some historians say the holiday developed because servants, having worked on Christmas Day, were presented with gift boxes as they went to spend their day off with family.

From then, this developed into giving tips to regular tradesmen, for example the dustmen (weekly refuse collectors) milkmen (delivered milk daily) and postman. These would often knock on the door, cap in hand, in expectation of money or gifts of cake, mince pies, alcohol etc.

This custom has pretty much died out nowadays, as milkmen no longer deliver, the postman changes by the day (we certainly don't have a regular one!) and the dustmen change regularly as well. The tradesmen are not familiar faces any longer. Sign of the times, unfortunately (sigh).

These days, Boxing Day is more associated with eating leftover food from Christmas Day: a selection of cold cuts, pork pie and pickles, as nobody feels like cooking. And collapsing in front of the TV!