What is Boxing Day about and does it have anything to do with boxes?

What do you know about Boxing Day, other than the fact it’s a public holiday, and a good time to get a bargain?

Have you ever wondered where the name comes from, or what the day has meant over the centuries?

As it turns out, the exact roots are unknown. But there are a few theories, stretching all the way back to the Middle Ages.

A day for servants

Why’s Boxing Day celebrated the day after Christmas?

It originated in the United Kingdom and one theory is that it was originally a day to compensate servants.

“In the Middle Ages and the early modern era, the servants all had to work on Christmas Day,” explains Carole Cusack, a professor of religious studies at the University of Sydney.

“Their servitude meant that they had to put the needs of the…