In certain parts of the world, Dec. 26 is considered an extra holiday known as Boxing Day. Some might find the title exciting, thinking it as a sort of celebration of the fine sport, but the reality is Boxing Day is a European tradition observed directly after Christmas Day. 

During this time, Europeans provide alms for the poor with some giving special offerings to the church to honor the Feast of Saint Stephen. Saint Stephen was one of the first deacons who assisted the Apostles in carrying out the word of the Lord. His role was to provide food and charitable aid to the poor members of the early church. He would later be stoned to death with his last words calling on God to forgive those who cast stones at him. 

In modern times, those under the UK Commonwealth and certain parts of Europe treat Boxing Day as sort of a Black Friday sale to snag up any post-Christmas deals put up by stores. Others treat it as a day of celebrating some competitive sports. In Australia, it’s common to find many people celebrating by watching a game of cricket as the Australian cricket team uses Boxing Day to open up its summer season. For Canadians, Boxing Day marks the start of several ice hockey contests. Meanwhile, some countries in Africa follow the literal meaning of the holiday and use it for boxing matches. This leads to the curious question, what would our country do if we were to start observing and implementing this extra holiday?

For starters, it’s obvious how most of our malls would follow suit in using this time to have marked-down sales to deplete their Christmas sale leftovers. Those celebrating the holidays in provinces can spend as much of it as they can with family before heading back. Regional tourism centers can benefit from families spending the extra day visiting various hidden gems and supporting the local tourism sector in their areas. Using the extra time to rest can also boost the mood of workers set to return to duty on the 27th, ushering a boost in our economy. Others can also follow the tradition of Saint Stephen, using the special day as a way of giving back to those in need within our communities. This can be done through a food drive or by donating various goods. Others can also start up cleanup efforts to help make living conditions easier in certain areas. You can start the initiative in your area by getting in touch with your local government units or charitable institutes to pitch the idea.

Whichever way we choose to celebrate our own hypothetical version of Boxing Day, one thing we must remember is that the holidays are best celebrated by giving to those in need and spending quality time with our families.