In December we usually look forward to four specific dates - Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year's Eve - shortly followed by the New Year itself.
So when the Christmas dinner leftovers are finished and Santa has been and gone, many people head out to the shops to spend their money so they can grab anything and everything in the sales.
Unless you just want to sit on the sofa - the choice is totally yours.
But with three key dates all one after another - with Boxing Day being one of them - why do we celebrate it and why is it called Boxing Day?
What is Boxing Day?
It's a day in the UK where we get another day off after Christmas before heading back to work.
It occurs on December 26 and is classed as a National Bank Holiday.
In some European countries such as Hungary, Germany and Poland, it is celebrated as a second Christmas Day.
For many, as previously suggested, it's a chance to hit the shops and spend Christmas money whilst for others it's a chance to unwind after a busy day by putting their feet up and eating any leftovers and of course, some chocolate.
When is Boxing Day?
The holiday falls on December 26 and this year it occurs on a Sunday.
Because of this, the holiday is then moved to the following Tuesday.
If Boxing Day were to fall on a Saturday, it is moved to the following Monday.
Why is it called Boxing Day?
You'd be forgiven thinking that it was all about boxes - but it in fact has nothing to do with them.
Instead there is a slight confusing mix of traditions that kick started the day - from stoning to gift boxes and even sailor superstitions meaning there are many theories as to why the day is given this name, according to the Mirror.
The theories as to why the name Boxing Day is given are as follows:
- The earliest mention was in the 1830s where a ‘Christmas Box’ was the name for a Christmas present.
- It also relates to giving to the poor. Traditionally there was a box to collect money for the poor placed in Churches on Christmas day and opened the next day - Boxing Day aka St Stephen's Day as it's known in Ireland - named after the saint that was stoned to death for believing in Jesus.
- The Victorians were the ones who made Boxing Day a Bank Holiday in 1871. Around the same time the tradition of giving servants time off to visit the family was growing. Boxing Day was traditionally a day off for servants, their master would give them a box to take with them. It used to hold gifts, a bonus and sometimes leftovers.
- Sailing ships when setting sail would have a sealed box containing money on board for good luck. If the voyage was a success, the box was given to a priest, opened at Christmas and the contents then given to the poor.
But if you're after a more accurate answer, it could be tricky as the National Geographic claim that the origins of the holiday if often debated by historians.
In a page dedicated to the holiday, the historical website said: "Though historians disagree on the exact origin of Boxing Day, it is thought to have grown out of long standing British traditions of charitable giving and goodwill - practises especially associated with the Christian festival of Saint Stephen's Day."
