Merry Christmas and Happy Boxing Day!

A little historical nugget for those who don't know what Boxing Day is. Boxing Day is observed the day after Christmas in Canada, the U.K. and other countries part of the Commonwealth. The day, also known as the Feast of St. Stephen (after the first Christian martyr) originated in England during the mid-19th century when Queen Victoria was on the throne. Merchants would give boxes of food, clothing or money to their employees and other tradespeople. There are a number of folk stories that provide further etymology behind Boxing Day. One is that it was a way for the upper classes to give a gift to their servants, many of whom had to provide services on Christmas Day. But they were then given off the day after to spend with their families. Another version is that the leftovers were boxed up and given to the staff to take home for their Christmas observance. There was also a tradition where churches would open their donation boxes on Christmas Day and the money was distributed to the poor the next day.

A few final fascinating factoids: Boxing Day two years ago was the single largest economic transaction day ever in the history of Canadian commerce. However, in the Atlantic provinces and some parts of Ontario, retailers are not permitted to open their stores on the 26th, making the 27th Boxing Day. In 2006, Nova Scotia voted in favour of lifting the ban, but it was reinstated this month as per a Liberal bill backed by the minority Tory government.