12-26-2008, 09:42 AM
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#3 (permalink)
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| Member
Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Nursing Home in Brick, New Jersey
Posts: 4,666
|  HAPPY BOXING DAY
AND/OR ST. STEPHEN'S DAY
Quote:
Origin
Boxing Day dates back to past centuries when it was the custom for the wealthy to give gifts to employees or to people in a lower social class, most especially to household servants and other service personnel. The name has numerous folk etymologies[3].
As with Christmas itself, some elements of Boxing Day are also likely related to, and ultimately derived from, the ancient Roman Saturnalia, which also had elements of gift giving and social role reversal.
Date
In the countries that observe this holiday, 26 December is commonly referred to as Boxing Day, no matter what day of the week it occurs.[4] However, in some countries, fixed-date holidays falling on Saturday or Sunday are often observed on the next weekday. Technically, Boxing Day cannot be on a Sunday - that day being the officially recognized day of worship, so traditionally it was the next working day of the week following Christmas Day, (i.e. any day from Monday to Saturday). In recent times this tradition has been either forgotten or ignored, and 26 December is considered by most to be Boxing Day when it falls on a Sunday. 1993 was the last year when 26 December was called Christmas Sunday in the Canada; in 1999, the next time the date fell on a Sunday, it was Boxing Day.
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__________________ For, it's a long, long while from May to December...
 But, the days grow short when you reach September...
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"Make a joke and I will sigh, and you will laugh, and I will cry. Happiness I can not feel, and love to me is so unreal." Loony from Rings of Power 
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