The second day after Christmas (December 26) is primarily known as Boxing Day in the UK, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, where it is a public holiday often focused on shopping and sports. It is also widely celebrated as St. Stephen's Day, particularly in Ireland and many European countries.
Another theory suggests that the name "Boxing Day" is derived from the tradition of opening the alms boxes placed in churches during the Christmas season. The contents of these boxes were then distributed to the poor on December 26th.
In Western Christianity it begins with Christmas Day (25 December) and includes Saint Stephen's Day (26 December), the Feast of Saint John the Apostle (27 December), Childermas (28 December), New Year's Eve or Saint Sylvester's Day (31 December), New Year's Day or the Feast of the Circumcision of Christ (1 January), ...
The day after Christmas, December 26th, is called Boxing Day in the UK, Canada, Australia, and other Commonwealth nations, also known as St. Stephen's Day in many places, and it's a public holiday with traditions of giving to the poor, shopping, and sports. In the U.S., it's typically just called the "day after Christmas" or the start of post-holiday sales, though some observe it as Kwanzaa's first day.
What do they call the day after Christmas in the UK?
Boxing Day is celebrated in the U.K. on Dec. 26, the day after Christmas every year. Despite the name, the holiday has nothing to do with the sport of boxing or returning boxes or presents.
What is Boxing Day? The Day After Christmas in the UK Explained
What are the 12 days of Christmas in order?
The 12 Days of Christmas, from the famous carol, list gifts given sequentially from Christmas Day (Dec 25) to Epiphany (Jan 6), with each day adding new gifts, culminating in: 1 Partridge, 2 Turtle Doves, 3 French Hens, 4 Calling Birds, 5 Gold Rings, 6 Geese a-laying, 7 Swans a-swimming, 8 Maids a-milking, 9 Ladies dancing, 10 Lords a-leaping, 11 Pipers piping, and 12 Drummers drumming.
THE SECOND DAY OF DUTCH CHRISTMAS. Most people in the Netherlands celebrate Kerstavond on December 24th and Kerstmis on December 25th. But for the Dutch, one day of Christmas cheer simply isn't enough — they also celebrate Tweede Kerstdag (Second Christmas Day) on December 26th.
Jesus was likely born between 6 and 4 BC, not on December 25th, with many scholars pointing to the reign of King Herod the Great as a key indicator, as the gospels state Jesus' birth occurred shortly before Herod's death around 4 BC, though the exact date remains unknown and traditions vary.
Instead, Germans simply talk about der zweite Weihnachtstag or der 26. Dezember, and they mean something much quieter and more reflective than the British Boxing Day.
President Donald Trump's recent executive order has turned the post-Christmas slump into an official extension of the holiday season, designating Friday, Dec. 26, as a federal holiday.
When should you officially put up your Christmas tree?
More recently, and in line with Christian tradition, it became typical to put up and decorate the tree at the beginning of Advent, on the fourth Sunday before Christmas. This year, Advent begins on Sunday 30th November.
Why is the day after Christmas called Boxing Day? Boxing Day isn't typically celebrated by Americans. Here's what to know. WASHINGTON — After Christmas Day, the United Kingdom and British Commonwealth countries celebrate Boxing Day.
The first bank holiday of 2025 was New Year's Day on Wednesday, 1 January. In Scotland, the celebrations extended to include an additional bank holiday on Thursday, 2 January. Looking ahead from today, the next bank holiday will be St Andrew's Day (substitute) on Monday, 1 December 2025 in Scotland.
The second day of Christmas, December 26th, is celebrated as St. Stephen's Day, honoring the first Christian martyr known for his charity. It is also known as Boxing Day, a holiday that historically involved giving gifts or a "Christmas box" to servants and the poor.
Yes, December 26th is a public bank holiday in the UK, known as Boxing Day, a day for rest and celebrations following Christmas Day, with many businesses closed and public transport running reduced services. If December 26th falls on a weekend, the bank holiday moves to the next weekday.
Most Western Christians — Catholics and Protestants — celebrate Christmas on December 25 according to the Gregorian calendar, the one we all use today. But some Orthodox churches — in countries like Russia, Georgia, Serbia, Ethiopia and others — continue using the Julian calendar, which is 13 days behind.
What happens if you don't take decorations down by 12th night?
The tradition that it is bad luck to keep decorations up after Twelfth Night and the Epiphany is a modern invention, although it may derive from the medieval notion that decorations left up after Candlemas eve would become possessed by goblins!
The word partridge comes from the Greek perdix and can ultimately be traced back to a Sanskrit word that mimics the whirring sound of a bird's wings. Definitions of partridge. noun. heavy-bodied small-winged South American game bird resembling a gallinaceous bird but related to the ratite birds.
A "5 Things Gift Exchange" usually refers to the five-gift rule for Christmas: something they Want, something they Need, something to Wear, something to Read, and a special, unexpected fifth gift (often something to Do/Experience) to focus on quality over quantity. Another popular option is the "Favorite Things Party," where guests bring 2-3 identical copies of their favorite budget-friendly item to share and swap, creating a fun, personal discovery exchange.
What day is good luck to take down the Christmas tree?
The Epiphany falls on 6th January, which means the decorations should, in theory, be tidied away on the 5th. This is the most popular date! However, not everyone follows this tradition. Many countries, including Germany, Poland and the Czech Republic believe the Twelfth Night to be the 6th.
But if that's the way you feel (and I know I do) then spare a thought for our hardy forebears. They partied hard, right through from Christmas Eve to the evening of the 5th of January, otherwise known as Twelfth Night.
The Twelfth Night superstition explained. 'The Twelve Days of Christmas' remains a popular carol in Britain, and many people still hold with the superstition that festive decorations must be taken down by 6 January, the twelfth day after Christmas Day, or bad luck will befall the household.
