Quirky Ways of Celebrating Boxing Day 2022 in Different Countries

Last Updated on November 14, 2022 by

Boxing Day is also known as Stephen’s day in some other countries. There is a bank holiday in the UK on the 26th of December. If Saturday or Sunday coincides with this day the holiday is turned to Monday. Let’s see how can you make Boxing Day 2022 more special but before that take a glance at the history of Boxing Day and how it became a celebration.

This day has a special meaning in Great Britain and other commonwealth countries such as Australia, New Zealand, and Canada. On Boxing day, during old times the servants, tradespeople, and the poor were given gifts. But now in this era, this day has turned out to be associated with shopping and sports events.

Different names for Boxing day have different explanations. Some believe that the names come from the opening of the alm boxes. In Church, there are Alm boxes for the poor people to receive donations. Others believe in box distribution to the employees.

Based on this theory, the work of the workers and servants was needed to celebrate Christmas Day for the employers. Thus, the servants were given the next day after Christmas Day as a holiday. This is how the practice of allotting bonuses to them began.

Let’s take a glimpse of how you can make a good thrilling celebration during Boxing Day 2022.

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1 – Dubai

Dubai comes with many relaxing and entertaining activities to do during Boxing Day. You start by having luxurious brunches in Dubai. You can also visit Cove beach and have a delectable brunch here which includes seafood and house beverages.

Apart from this enjoy shopping in The Dubai Mall at huge discounts on your favourite brands. There is a super sale for three days in the mall during Boxing Day. You can get everything which includes clothing, footwear, and accessories.

Have a sporting fun adventure at the Dubai Offshore Sailing Club. Drift the Emirates Golf Club and play football at Spike Bar to grab all the action and fun. The Club organises an epic Helm Boxing Day Pursuit race for ladies.

Not just that you can make your day after shopping by having fun during the happy hours on Boxing Day in Dubai. Anantara The Palm gives a great combo of wine and cheese so that you can have a blast enjoying it during sunset. Relax at the shoreside gazing at the beautiful landscape of the Sun, sea, and sand.

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2 – Australia

Though the roots of Boxing day are British, Australians have their own way of celebrating the day. Australia follows its own way of enjoying the epic day. Generally, people go shopping during the Boxing Day sales which are quite similar to the Black Friday sale. Australians spend around 2.4 million dollars every day during Boxing Day. People love splurging and shelling out their money to buy the items at surprising discounts. Even the shops open early to manage the huge crowd.

Individuals enjoy attending the Test cricket match or watching the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race during Boxing Day 2022. The test cricket match is a massive day for cricket lovers. It takes place in Melbourne cricket ground Australia and a touring national team. People love to relax with their families by going to cinemas as many movies are released on this day. The Yacht race is another remarkable tradition. The race extends over 630 nautical miles and runs from Sydney Harbour through Hobart. A barbeque sounds great along with the family and friends before going to work the next day. Many people stay at home on this day and invite the guests over to their place and encourage them to bring the Christmas leftovers to share with each other.

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3 – London

London has got many fun activities to do during Boxing day. Enjoy a winter walk through Etham palace, watch Christmas shows or a movie. You can also take your family to watch the Kew garden’s Light trails where there are colourful blooms, quite more authentic to view than the natural flowers. People also skate on the ice rink in the legendary Natural History Museum. Apart from that special sales are there where you can get high discounts.

4 – South Africa

Day of Goodwill is Boxing Day in South Africa. Despite the name change, tradition remains the same. There is a public holiday in South Africa for the same. Everyone relaxes and unwinds on Boxing Day.  It is summertime today in South Africa and the weather is warm and pleasant. Many unconventional activities like escaping to the beaches, playing sports and watching movies take place.

South Africa was under the control of the Dutch and when it gained freedom from British rule and declared itself a republic In the same year 1994, Nelson Mandela became the president, the Boxing day got its name as the Day of Goodwill.

5 – Canada

In Canada, there is a public off and people visit stores for annual sales during Boxing Day. Some people wait outside the stores to grab the items on sale during the morning hours. Many stores open before time than on a usual day. The sales end for a whole week between Christmas and new year’s eve. Hence it is known as ‘Boxing Week Sales’. In the areas like particularly New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, Ontario, and Newfoundland & Labrador the stores do not open on Boxing day and the Christmas sale after Christmas starts on the 27th of December.

A plethora of Important sporting events takes place this Boxing Day 2022. People watch them on television. On December 26th, The International Ice Hockey Federation—the world junior championship of hockey begins. Canada’s own team performs great in the event. Apart from this some other events like The Spengler Cup ice hockey tournament (Davos) are live on television.

6 – New Zealand

People celebrate the day off at the beaches, being around family and friends and relaxing. The best day to unwind after Christmas before moving forward to work the next day. Many people generally take the time off till the new year. Many families go abroad to travel and make the most of these vacations as schools are off.

Boxing Day serves as the gazetted public holiday in New Zealand so the schools, colleges and offices including many private businesses are all closed.

There is a different flavour of Boxing Day celebrations in different countries. But the ideology remains the same—to enjoy and spend time with their loved ones. Make the most of this Boxing Day 2022!