From “Downton Abbey” fox-hunting outings to Premier League soccer matchups, Dec. 26 has been a popular national holiday for centuries
Debbie Emery | December 26, 2018 @ 7:45 AM
Last Updated: December 26, 2018 @ 8:13 AM
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While Americans struggle back to work the day after Christmas, many parts of the world are celebrating the national holiday known as Boxing Day.
And no, it has nothing to do with the sport of boxing.
The term originates from 17th-century Britain and is now recognized in the U.K., Canada and other former British colonies. In Ireland, Dec. 26 is called Saint Stephen’s Day — since his feast day falls on that day in the calendar.
If you’ve ever watched the “Downton Abbey” Christmas special, you’ll know that the staff at traditional country estates usually had to work on Christmas Day serving the family of the house, pouring champagne and port late into the night long after the turkey was eaten.
While there is some dispute over what the name actually means, it’s commonly believed that Boxing Day refers to the habit of aristocratic employees gifting their servants or tradesman on Dec. 26 as a thank you for their work throughout the year. The employers would give them each a box to take home to their family with gifts, bonuses and leftover food.
Samuel Pepys, a naval administrator and Member of Parliament, is famous for writing in his diary in 1663: “Thence by coach to my shoemaker’s and paid all there, and gave something to the boys’ box against Christmas.”
Boxing Day is also commonly connected with horses, as Saint Stephen is the patron saint of horses.
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“Downton Abbey” fans often saw the Crawley family wearing their red riding coats to follow the master of the hound on a fox hunting outing. While it has since been banned in England in favor of drag hunting (where the hounds follow a pre-laid scent, not a real fox), a debate is currently raging in Scotland over foxes still being hunted for “pest control.”
Dec. 26 is also the day of horse racing at the the annual King George VI Chase at Kempton racecourse in England.
Nowadays, Boxing Day is one of the biggest shopping days of the year in the U.K. (similar to Black Friday in the U.S.) as crowds jump on sales and some even delay buying their Christmas presents in the hope of finding a late bargain.
Other modern day traditions are huge Premier League soccer match-ups, gorging on leftovers and binging on James Bond movies (or Netflix).
So if you’re struggling to get back to the grind this post-Christmas, just tell your co-workers you’re celebrating Boxing Day instead.
13 Christmas Movies That Definitely Aren't for Kids (Photos)
Sure, Christmas is a time of joy for children of all ages, but that doesn't mean that grown-ups can't have the cinematic equivalent of a spiked egg nog. After you've packed the little ones off to bed, enjoy these movies, from the hilarious to the horrifying, that are aimed at adult audiences.
"Black Christmas" (1974)
A decade before making the classic "A Christmas Story," director Bob Clark invented the holiday slasher with this still-chilling cult fave about sorority sisters fending off an obscene phone caller.
"The Silent Partner" (1978)
Bank teller Elliott Gould and robber Christopher Plummer play a deadly game of cat-and-mouse; this twisty thriller was an early success for the late Curtis Hanson, who scripted.
"Christmas Evil" (1980)
John Waters' favorite Christmas movie involves a man obsessed with Santa (Brandon Maggart) who takes his naughty list to homicidal extremes.
"Some Girls" (1988)
Long before he was McDreamy, Patrick Dempsey played a horny college student bewitched by three sisters (played by Jennifer Connelly, Sheila Kelley and Ashley Greenfield) in an early Sundance hit that's still underappreciated (and still sexy).
"Metropolitan" (1990)
Writer-director Whit Stillman scored a dynamite debut -- and made a low-budget indie look great by shooting in holiday-decorated Manhattan -- with this smart and sprightly tale of young debutantes in love.
"The Ref" (1994)
Cat burglar Denis Leary is forced to play marriage counselor to bickering spouses Kevin Spacey and Judy Davis in this pungently hilarious farce.
"Go" (1999)
Writer John August and director Doug Liman keep the twists and the wisecracks coming in this ensemble piece about young L.A. types chasing down ecstasy. The cast is full of before-they-were-famous folks.
"Eyes Wide Shut" (1999)
If you don't think of this as a Christmas movie, you haven't seen it lately; director Stanley Kubrick inserts twinkle lights and trees all over his sexual thriller starring Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman.
"Kiss Kiss Bang Bang" (2005)
One of Robert Downey's best pre-Marvel roles was as a struggling actor caught up in a Christmastime conspiracy, trading quips with scene-stealers Val Kilmer and Michelle Monaghan.
"A Christmas Tale" (2008)
Catherine Deneuve isn't the usual mom-with-cancer; this matriarch demands her kids give her a bone marrow transplant in this biting, brilliant family story.
"Better Watch Out" (2017)
This clever holiday horror-comedy takes the youthful sadism of "Home Alone" and ratchets it up a few notches, with teenage Luke (Levi Miller, "Pan") hiding some real darkness behind that sweet face.
"A Bad Moms Christmas" (2017)
The bad moms just want to have fun, even when their own bad moms come rolling into town to celebrate the season. Santas will strip, and the egg nog will be spiked.
"Anna and the Apocalypse" (2018)
It's Christmastime! But thanks to a zombie outbreak, it's also the end times, and our high school heroes dispatch the undead with bloody fervor. And did we mention this is also a musical?
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“Anna and the Apocalypse” isn’t the only film that brings an R-rated sensibility to the holiday season
Sure, Christmas is a time of joy for children of all ages, but that doesn't mean that grown-ups can't have the cinematic equivalent of a spiked egg nog. After you've packed the little ones off to bed, enjoy these movies, from the hilarious to the horrifying, that are aimed at adult audiences.
