Why Didn't Boxing Day Catch on Here?

[CorpGovActivist]

The day after Christmas, in the UK and many Commonwealth countries, is http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boxing_day">Boxing Day.

It's an extremely progressive idea. How did we miss out?

- Dave

[Ellen Forradalom]

1. It's on pay-per-view

[CorpGovActivist]

2. Sadly, You're Probably Not Far from the Truth n/t

[Ken Burch]

3. Probably seen as too "British" and too tied into a "class conscious" view of life

Remember, Americans like to pretend that we don't HAVE class in our society and that we AREN'T imperialist.

[depakid]

19. Ozzies have a blast with it!

Have a barbeque with friends & family- maybe chill out to some test cricket or a go and have a surf.

Kinda nice down under, 'cause it coincides with summer vacations.

[CorpGovActivist]

32. Aussies and Kiwis...

... are among my favorite co-workers. And Aussie Rules Football is riveting (as much for the announcing - which makes me howl in laughter - as for the plays on the field being announced).

"OH! That was a right digeridoo up the bozwangle!"

(And if you missed the play, you don't necessarily know if that is good, bad, painful, embarrassing, or all of the above.)

: )

- Dave

[Ken Burch]

50. They're part of the Commonwealth.

n/t.

[CorpGovActivist]

29. And We Don't Have a King in our "Land of Make Believe," Either...

... right?

; )

Teasing aside, it seems like we could've found a way to make it distinctly American, and launder the class distinction taint.

- Dave

[sandnsea]

4. It's based on peasantry

It's based on the acceptance of there always being a peasant class dependent on the ruling class for gifts instead of honest payment. Beggary, if you will. The US culture is self-directed, everybody is equal, nobody in a class that needs alms once a year.

Would you support give a dollar to a minority day?

I prefer helping everybody have as wonderful a Christmas as possible, before the holiday, the way we do now.

[JCMach1]

6. Exactly... We ARE NOT peasants...

just corporate slaves...

:sarcasm:

[sandnsea]

13. We get bonuses, not beggars alms

You may not get the difference, but there is a difference.

[JCMach1]

14. please note the sarcasm...

always remember Americans are corporate slaves...

any extra holiday is heresy... and holiday with a bonus! Don't even go there...

[CorpGovActivist]

36. Restock a Food Bank after Holiday Crunch?

I'd support that, and don't think anyone has to wear the label of lord or peasant for it to be progressive and effective.

- Dave

[Poiuyt]

5. I always celebrate it

It's my birthday!!

[Jennifer C]

18. Happy Birthday! nt

[tomreedtoon]

7. Because my punches aren't worth a damn.

And when I went out on the street with those Everlast gloves on, trying to get people to box, the police threw me in jail. And the guy there didn't punch me with his fist, if you know what I mean and I think you do.

And they say we Americans have a violent society. Lies, all lies!

[pitohui]

8. it doesn't sound like we did miss it

over here the gifts/tips/bonuses to employees are given before or on christmas, instead of the day after

my husband got his bonus almost 2 weeks ago, thank god


getting money sooner is better than getting money later, esp. during the holidays!

[CorpGovActivist]

42. I Like the Idea of Looking at "Hoarded Wealth" on Christmas Day...

... and acting on it the day after, to put it into more progressive, productive use.

- Dave

[Cerridwen]

9. You presume Americans are inherently progressive.

Not my experience at all.

We have a long, "conservative" history.

Most Americans I meet are happy with preserving the status quo; we just differ as to whom should be in charge of the systems in place.

[CorpGovActivist]

33. Actually, It's the Perfect Mix of Tradition and Progressivity...

... with a little imagination.

Build a Habitat for Humanity home.

Restock a food shelter after the holiday crunch.

Etc.

- Dave

[question everything]

10. We don't have live-in servants

or any servants who have to serve us during Christmas so we provide them with left over the next day.

At least, most of us do not have servants.

[canetoad]

12. FFS the origins of boxing day are medieval

when gifts were given to workers, serfs, the needy.

Did slaves get anything on boxing day?

[ShaneGR]

22. Actually, yes they did.... nt

[treestar]

26. Probably true, we are descended from the people who would

have received the boxes, and when we became the people who should do the boxing, the chain was broken from the migration and the distance.

[kineneb]

11. 'cause Dec.26 is when the after-Christmas sales happen

not that is a good use for the day, just the truth.

By English tradition Christmas was a family/religious day, and Boxing Day was a day to visit with friends or more distant family or to give gifts to employees, the poor or persons of lower station...

It is also St. Stephen's Day, and the "First Day of Christmas".

[Bright Eyes]

15. It's goes against the American Spirit

The "I got mine, so fuck you!" mentality.

[TankLV]

16. We do - everyone puts their empty boxes on the curb for the trash pickup...

It's celebrated every year where ever I've lived...

[MonkeyFunk]

17. I celebrate it!

Tomorrow, I shall have the serfs and the household staff line up, while I ostentatiously give them a small gift (usually leftovers), all the while reminding them of how fortunate they are to have my largesse. I am very progressive.

/sarcasm

Honestly, I see nothing "progressive" about it. It seems rather condescending to me.

[CorpGovActivist]

28. Hillary, Is That You?

The White House staff thank you, ma'am.

- Dave

[MonkeyFunk]

48. Nope

it's me, Monkeyfunk. You see, the picture of Hillary is just what we call an avatar. That's "av-uh-tar".

If you think the lords tossing a pittance to the peasants on the day after Christmas is "progressive", I can see you need a lot of things explained slowly.

[Heidi]

20. Because it doesn't have its own YouTube channel? (nt)

[Thothmes]

21. Probably for the same reasons that they dont celebrate the 4th of July

[Vinca]

23. Today is "how was your Christmas" day.

No matter where you go or who you meet, the words "Did you have a nice Christmas?" will be uttered. It doesn't matter whether you're Christian, Jew, Atheist or other, the grocery store clerk needs an update on your holiday.

[Occulus]

45. I know

It makes me want to say "My gift puppy died" just to see what happens...

:silly:

[NewJeffCT]

24. all those big corporations don't want to give people another paid day off

I mean, one or two days for Thanksgiving, one for Christmas and one for New Year's Day in a six week period must make their corporate heads spin... adding another day there would just be too much for them.

They much prefer that period between New Year's Day & Memorial Day when only some of them give day's off for President's Day.

[baldguy]

25. After the Revolution, it was considered too "English".

But 100 yrs later, we wholeheartedly adopted the Christmas tree.

[JVS]

31. The tree is German

[baldguy]

38. So was Prince Albert

[Freddie Stubbs]

39. Have they let him out of that can yet?

:shrug:

[baldguy]

47. No.

Leave him be. Even monarchs have take a shit every day.

[LeftHander]

27. COnsumer economy has lots or returns on the 26th.

So we have to have all those stores open...

[JVS]

30. Fuck that bullshit. Today is the feast of St. Steven, not some jive ass box day.

Here he is getting stoned.

[ChazII]

43. Mixed up date

sorry for the error.

[dysfunctional press]

34. it's too classist for our tastes.

we aren't supposed to acknowledge the social castes- we're all equal, ( :rofl: ) remember?

[HEyHEY]

35. We have it here in Canada - there's nothing progressive about it

Sure, the original idea is nice (or could be in today's world)... but now, people don't spend their boxing day packing up old stuff for the less fortunate. Now, they spend them in malls for huge "Boxing day" sales. Now, it's actually turned into boxing week. An entire week of more consumption and needless spending. No one cares about the poor anymore... now it's all about buying more useless shit for themselves.

[Evoman]

51. No doubt.

My gf works retail.....just lines of grumpy people looking for deals and returning shit that didn't fit for christmas. In fact, a co-worker of mine thought that "Boxing Day" was called boxing day because it's the day that stores have to sell their stuff before it gets boxed up until next christmas :eyes:

[alcibiades_mystery]

37. Because we already have thanksgiving

[TransitJohn]

40. Because we can't really afford Christmas,

and that'd just break the bank.

[CorpGovActivist]

41. A Warm Coat You Haven't Worn...

... in a year, is a treasure to someone with a thin one.

- Dave

[wishlist]

44. Between now and Dec 31, lots of charity donations are made (for tax purposes)

Our local newspaper and TV news shows today in NC have featured stories about making charitable donations before end of year and the local charities such as Habitat for Humanity have been publicizing their need for goods to sell in the thrift shops. Although there is an emphasis on tax deductions, this emphasis on donating unwanted gifts and goods is at least preferable to all the pre-Christmas coverage of marathon mall shopping.

[CorpGovActivist]

49. Year-End Tax Planning...

... is, indeed, a recurring phenom.

But there is a certain lack of immediacy in it. We Americans excel at creating charitable clearinghouses - but somewhere along the way, the emphasis shifted, I think, from face-to-face interactions.

- Dave

[alfredo]

46. We return and exchange our stuff on boxing day.

[Tabasco_Dave]

52. If we had Boxing Day in the US

Don King would take it over and he would charge us $50.00 to celebrate it.:yoiks:

[cali]

53. I love, love, love boxing day.

My "adopted" family is British and we have a blast. We always go for a long ramble or ski and eat our way through a fantastic ethnic meat- Mexican this year. Then we set off lots of fireworks, put on skits, including an end of the year "newscast", play music, and play charades and watch movies. It's always even more fun than Christmas. And there are about 25 of us, ranging in age from 8 to 80.

[deacon]

54. i guess "Boxing Day" was a poor marketing term :)))

Sounds like an HBO special.

[bdamomma]

55. they just want to send us back to work again.

what two days off???? are you crazy?