Happy Boxing Day | 26 Dec. 2022

Boxing Day is celebrated a day after Christmas. Boxing day, despite what the name suggests has nothing to do with the sport. The holiday which began as a day to give gifts to the poor is now celebrated as a ‘shopping holiday’.

It became official in 1871 and was traditionally recognised on December 26. However, if that day falls on a Saturday, the celebration moves to the following Monday and if the date falls on a Sunday, the holiday is celebrated on the following Tuesday.

Boxing day originally began in the United Kingdom and supposedly got its name during Queen Victoria’s reign and is now celebrated in several countries across Europe as well as countries and former British colonies, New Zealand, Canada, Australia, and so on. The day is also marked by a bank holiday or a public holiday in these countries with stores offering Boxing Day sales which are often compared to the United States’ Black Friday sale.

Brief History

There are several theories surrounding the celebration and origins of Boxing day, one of which includes it being a day off for servants where they would receive a gift from their employers and take these Christmas boxes to their families. These boxes would consist of gifts, bonuses, as well as leftovers from the meals, served on Christmas.

Therefore, in this context, the name ‘boxing day’ refers to the Christmas boxes given to those in need a day after Christmas. Meanwhile, in countries like European countries like Ireland, Germany, the Czech Republic, Italy, Poland, Finland, and so on, December 26 is also celebrated as St. Stephen's Day, to commemorate the first Christian martyr, known for his service to the poor and was stoned to death in AD 36.

What do people do on this day?

Some people celebrate this day with family and friends while others gather for leftover meals and spend their day off relaxing. While others shop in record numbers taking advantage of low prices.

Boxing day is somewhat related to sports as on this day, Boxing day Test takes place in Australia, a cricket match played between the Australian team and any country which is on tour in the country at the time, starting from December 26. They are hosted by the country’s iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) in Victoria.

Additionally, there are several other sporting events held on Boxing day, which include football and rugby games in the UK and cricket matches in Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa.

Boxing Day 2022 sales in UK and Australia

In the UK as the country faces the highest inflation in decades and a cost of living crisis, a survey by Barclaycard Payments, found that shoppers are expected to spend four per cent less this Boxing Day when compared to last year. Reportedly, a person is expected to spend at least 229 pounds ($276.2) this year which is 18 pounds ($21.7) less than in 2021.

Harshna Cayley, head of online payments at the credit card company while attributing the estimated low sales to the cost of living crisis and inflation also said, “retailers can take confidence knowing that shoppers still plan to make the most of the deals and discounts on offer.”

The survey also estimates that at least 28 per cent of people may use re-selling platforms like eBay and Facebook Marketplace to get rid of some unwanted Christmas presents. Meanwhile, research by GlobalData for Vouchercodes, estimates that spending on Boxing day will hit almost 3.8 billion pounds ($4.6 billion) which is also four per cent lesser than last year.

Notably, while the volume of items bought will be less given that the inflation in the country is more than 10 per cent shoppers will spend more per purchase.

On the other hand, reports suggest Australians are expected to spend a whopping AU$ 23.5 billion (US$ 15.78 billion) this Boxing day as they celebrate their first COVID-19 restrictions-free sale since 2020.

According to the data from the Australian Retail Association (ARA), the sales period is expected to see a 7.9 per cent increase since last year, with shoppers across major cities like Melbourne and Sydney more enthusiastic about spending than in previous years.

Meanwhile, ARA chief executive, Paul Zahra, also highlighted the change in shopping trends with less number of shoppers in-store when compared to previous years as more and more people are opting for online shopping. He also noted that consumers might witness big savings from clothing which he has attributed to an “unseasonably cool summer”.

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