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Boxing Day
 | Boxing Day is the day after Christmas. It's a holiday in the United Kingdom, Canada, and many other Commonwealth nations. The actual origin of this holiday isn't clear, and there are two good explanations. Here are both so you can take your pick... |
During the Middle Ages, the churches opened their "alms" boxes the day after Christmas. This is where people left gifts of money for the poor. When the money was handled out to the people in the neighborhood, they called it "Boxing Day".
The second explanation moves to 19th century England during the reign of Queen Victoria. Servants had to work on Christmas to make the holiday run smoothly, but they could leave on December 26th to visit their families. When they left, their employers gave each servant a box of gifts and bonuses.
Today, Boxing Day is generally spent with family and friends, watching sports or donating time to help the needy.
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