Boxing Day

December 26th is called Boxing Day in certain British Commonwealth countries. The origins of the name are uncertain, but probably have to do with the boxing up of Christmas gifts for household organization, travel or “regifting”.  It is a legal holiday and is celebrated widely in countries of the United Kingdom.

My first experience of Boxing Day was in Sydney, Australia in 1977. On December 26th each year my boss at the time had a festive brunch for his staff at his rooftop penthouse overlooking Sydney’s magnificent harbor. We had the good fortune to be invited to them.

Boxing day is also the start of the famed Sydney Hobart yacht race.

So there we were on the rooftop having just finished a fine Sydneysider brunch. With champagne glass in hand, looking down from the terrace in balmy 75 degree weather, like some Great Gadsby type character, I had a superb view of  the scores of sailing yachts and escort boats preparing for the race. It was a delightful day.

Today, thirty-three years later,  Boxing Day 2010 in America is not a legal holiday. However, it  is a Sunday this year, so it has a weekend festive feel to it.

In the past, the day after Christmas was a day for returning certain  Christmas gifts of  eclectic, sometimes questionable  taste, such as the paisley, periwinkle tie from Trudy, or the Hickory Farms celebration of cheese basket from Ted. Nowadays however, it is all about buying more stuff at discounted prices and more batteries at NOT discounted prices. But I am having none of that.

And there will be  no oceanic yacht race for me to watch with some chilled, fine Australian champagne. No seventy-five degree weather either. It is 23 and snowy. So, I think I will spend this Boxing Day putting some Christmas clutter in the recycling box.  Maybe  change  Oscar’s cat box and then spend the day listening to holiday music on my ipod boom box with Kuno by the fire.

All in all a delightful day.