Boxing Day Thoughts and origins

In the UK, it was a custom for tradesmen to collect "Christmas boxes" of money or presents on the first weekday after Christmas as thanks for good service throughout the year. This is mentioned in Samuel Pepys' diary entry for 19 December 1663; This custom is linked to an older English tradition: in exchange for ensuring that wealthy landowners' Christmases ran smoothly, their servants were allowed to take the 26th off to visit their families. The employers gave each servant a box containing gifts and bonuses (and sometimes leftover food).

It was tradition, for the hunts to meet on Boxing Day, though more for the social scene than for hunting vermin such as foxes (go on tell me they are not vermin!) as many of them were still very hung over from the christmas feast which was often of an evening which meant that staff could enjoy a christmas lunch of festivities before serving up the lords and masters of an evening.. so how many of us enjoyed a christmas lunch? hands up if you did.. I know I did.