Boxing Day

I was looking at my calendar the other day, when my child asked my what BOXING DAY was? I just looked at him and shrugged my shoulders. I hd no idea. Of course, he wanted to know if people were celebrating the sport, and I informed him that I seriously doubted it, much to his dismay. This got me to searching out the reason for the holiday.

Boxing Day is a holiday celebrated on December 26 in the United Kingdom, Ghana, Canada, Australia, Switzerland, Germany, Sweden, Norway, New Zealand, Greenland, and the Netherlands. In South Africa, the day is called Day of Goodwill, and in Ireland, they call it St. Stephen's Day or Day of the Wren.

It is believed to have started in the Middle Ages, though it's origins are unknown. Some say it was started because servants were required to work on Christmas day and to ensure that their holiday went without a hitch, they promised the servants the next day off, December 26. As the servants left the house to go visit with their families, the employers would give them gift boxes.

Another theory is that Church left out alms boxes for parishioners to deposit money into. On December 26, the clergy would distribute the coins to the poor.

December 26 is also known as St. Stephen's day in Ireland. He was one of the original seven deacons of the Christian Church. The deacons were ordained by the Apostles to care for the poor and the widows. It is said, that for his preaching and his devotion to Christ, he was stoned to death by a mob. As he lay their dying, he begged God not to punish his killers.

When I asked a friend who lives in London, what Boxing Day was, he advised that on this day boxed gifts are presented to people of public service, such as the mailman. I think this is a wonderful holiday and wished that everyone would celebrate it. I can say that for as long as I can remember, my parents always gave gifts to the trash man and the paper boy at Christmas time. That has carried over and I know that my brother and I do the same thing still.

Most people work hard for a living and I don't see anything wrong with letting them know that they are appreciated. So, the next time you see your mailman, tell him "Thank You!"

My family traditions part 2

Another tradition that has become a favorite of mine, is Candy Making Day.



(My sister Kim, niece Shelbey, and Sister-In-Law Laura.)

Thanksgiving, Candy Making Day and Christmas Eve are rotated between the family, that way, one person isn't doing the same thing or can visit their family if need be. This year, CMD is at my house.


We usually start around 10 AM. This includes my sisters, my mother, a couple of cousins and any girls over the age of 13. There is usually about 15-20 of us there. Then the men take the kids and will congregate at another house for the day.


Christmas music plays in the background. We make buckeyes, dipped pretzels, peanut brittle, 6 flavors of rock candy, think mint cookies, sugar cookies, chocolate chip cookies, divinity, rice crispie treats, and fudge. Of course, these are the things we always make. Someone usually finds something new to try. Then we take whatever container we brought and split it up.


(My niece Joy)

After we have made an obscene amount of goodies, the husbands and children come back and we have dinner and play cards. It is a fun day to be had by all!!

St. Andrew's Day is November 30th.

Saint Andrew is the Patron Saint of Scotland. Scots around the world celebrate St. Andrew's Day on Nov. 30th. The flag of Scotland is the Cross of St. Andrew. It is widely displayed as a symbol of national identity.


Not much is known about the Patron Saint. It is believed that he and his brother, Simon Peter or Saint Peter, were fisherman in Galilee, which is now a part of Israel. They both became apostles of Jesus Christ.

Word has it that St. Andrew may have been responsible for the spreading on tenets of the Christian religion through Asia Minor and Greece. Through tradition we learn that St. Andrew was put to death by the Romans in Patras in southern Greece by being pinned to a cross. The diagonal shape of the cross is reflected on the Scottish flag.

There have been two stories which depict how St. Andrew became affiliated to Scotland. The first begins that St. Andrew was entombed after his death. 300 years later, his bones were moved by Emperor Constantine to his new capitol in Constantinople. (This is now Istambul in Turkey.) Then a Greek Monk called St. Rule or St. Regulus, was warned in a dream by an angel that St. Andrew's remains were to be moved to the ends of the earth for safe keeping. St. Rule removed a tooth, an arm bone, a knee cap, and some fingers from his tomb. Scotland was where St. Rule had become shipwrecked and it was believed to be as far away as one could get. St. Rule then came ashore near a Pictish settlement on the east coast of Scotland. This town became known as St. Andrew.

The other story is that Acca, bishop of Hexham, who was a collector of relics, brought the relics of St. Andrew to the town of St. Andrew in 733. There was a religious centre in the town at the time. It was either founded by St. Rule in the 6th century or by a Pictish King, Ungus, who reigned from 731-761.

Either of these stories could be true, but the fact remains that the relics were placed in a specially constructed chapel. The chapel was replaced by the Cathedral of St. Andrews in 1160. St. Andrews then became the religious capitol of Scotland and a great centre for the Medieval pilgrims who came to view the relics.

There is little evidence of truth to the St. Rule story, though the name exists still today in Scotland. There is St. Rule Tower which remains amongst the ruins of St. Andrew's Cathedral.

A week of holidays and gatherings! Day 3

Scotland has a tradition that I have fallen in love with every since I read about it in Diana Gabaldon's Outlander series. It is called First Footing.

First Footing is exactly as it sounds. As the bells ring in the New Year shortly after midnight, the first person to step over a homes threshold will determine the homeowners luck of the year.

Ideally, the person should be a man and of dark complexion. (I have heard that if the visitor is twins, then the luck is doubled, but I could not prove this.) This dates back to the 8th century when the Vikings attacked Scotland. A blond visitor is a bad omen. The visitor should bear gifts which include whisky, coal, salt, a coin, and black buns (a spice cake).

Apparently, there is a lot of celebrating going on, for in Scotland, January 2nd is also considered a holiday! Sounds good to me!

I think that this tradition is so exciting. To be the person going around spreading cheer and love in the hopes that crossing someone's door step will bring them good luck. Or to be the person, who opens their door to find the dark stranger bearing gifts. This is a tradition I would like to see happen all around the world.