Boxing Day | Not Just a Granny

Posts Tagged ‘Boxing Day’

Finishing one, starting another

Posted in around the UK, conqueror challenges, family and relationships, Fun Stuff, Health, It's my life, long distance walks - solo, Travel, walk 1000 miles 2020, tagged Boxing Day, Conqueror virtual challenges 2020, family and relationships, for the love of walking, Great Ocean Road Australia, walk1000miles on December 26, 2020| 4 Comments »

Just thrilled to have finished the Great Ocean Road, Australia virtual challenge yesterday….exactly 5 weeks & 5 days 👏👏👏 🚶🏻‍♀️🚶🏻‍♀️

And just because I can….I signed up for another 3 and the 2021 challenge. 🤪🤪 so some serious walking coming up next year.

I’m planning on walking these as part of my 2021 challenge…along with The Ring Road of Iceland, Alps to Ocean New Zealand and the Cabot Trail in Canada.

First though, I must finish off my 2020 challenge…Getting started on the Mt. Fuji (74kms) challenge this morning I set off just on 7am and headed to the cliffs. Hardly saw a soul…it was quiet and peaceful, not a breath of air. I didn’t get a spectacular sunrise, but it was soft and pretty and I had a super walk and my total for today is 15.76kms.

The harbour is so pretty, especially now with the Christmas lights decorating many of them.

The wind came up on my way back as storm Bella started making herself felt.

With only 63.4 kms to go, I’m really excited to be reaching the end of the 2020 challenge.

Why not join me https://www.theconqueror.events/r/CE1474

I finished off the walk with fresh croissants from the CoOp 🥐🥐 and a cup of tea with the family and then a much enjoyed sleep, but not often done. My daughter and I had a quiet walk to the cliffs and back before supper as well, after which I spent the late afternoon and evening with my beloved family and just enjoyed being with my grandson. He is ever so cute, a real little munchkin, so full of beans, and boy can he be demanding…when he says “G’anny sit down!!!” – I sit 😂😂😂 usually on the floor which is not good for the old bones 👵🏻🦴🦴🦴😩😩

I hope you are all well and had a lovely 2 days. If you didn’t get to see family and friends, I truly hope that 2021 will see you all reunited.

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What is Boxing Day?

Posted in Historical, Holidays, tagged alms boxes, Boxing Day, christmas box, St Stephens Day, what does Boxing Day mean, what is origin of Boxing Day on December 26, 2009| 2 Comments »

What is Boxing Day and why is it called that?

One of my most ‘fun things to do’ is researching different traditions and looking for interesting websites.
I was mulling over the words ‘Boxing Day’ and wondering where exactly it originated. This is what I found:

“Christmas boxes were originally literally earthenware boxes. In mediaeval England, these boxes were used by the poor (servants, apprentices etc.) to save money throughout the year. At Christmas, the boxes were broken open and the savings shared to fund Christmas festivities. This meaning of Christmas box dates back to at least the early 17th century. The boxes were known in France as tirelire and are referred to in Randle Cotgrave’s A Dictionarie of the French and English tongues, 1611: Tirelire, a Christmas box; a box having a cleft on the lid, or in the side, for money to enter it; used in France by begging Fryers, and here by Butlers, and Prentices, etc.

In a similar tradition, which is almost as old as the above and which is the one that has stayed with us until the present day, Christmas boxes were gifts, usually money, given to tradespeople or others who have rendered some service throughout the year but who aren’t normally paid directly by the donor – for example, office cleaners, milkmen etc, and since they did not work on Christmas Day would receive them on ‘Boxing Day’

Also, the feast of St Stephen (day after Christmas) aka Boxing Day was traditionally when the alms box at every English church was opened and the contents distributed to the poor.

And this also explains the tradition of calling a christmas present a ‘christmas box’ whether its in a box or not.”

So there you have it. I do wonder if the tradition of alms boxes still exists? I do like the idea of a festivities box though, where we could save all our pound coins perhaps and then at the end of the year; indulge in a treat, like a spa/massage or coach-tour somewhere special.

What do you think? Should we have our own special ‘Christmas Box’. or should it be reserved for the alms boxes and as a thank you to the service men & women in our lives?

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