Chances are if you are from the United States, or even countries not tied to the U.K., the idea of ‘Boxing Day’ is a mystery. Is it a sporting event? Is it a second Christmas of opening gifts?
The definitive answer to the question ‘What is Boxing Day?’ will be answered along with traditional and even a recipe for your own Boxing Day lunch (or any other time)!
What IS Boxing Day?
It originates from servants having to work over the Christmas holiday (December 25th).
Alms (donations, food/money for the poor) were gathered in the churches’ donation boxes; and gifted to these workers, along with the day off on December 26th, or Boxing Day. The ‘box’ part being the church donation box.
Technically Boxing Day is the first week day after Christmas which generally will be the 26th.
Where is Boxing Day Celebrated?
Mainly in the United Kingdom (and countries with ties to the UK like Canada, Australia, New Zeland and South Africa). A handful of European countries also celebrate it.
Boxing Day Activities
In modern day it offers another gathering holiday for family and friends. An occasion to chat, over-eat, play games and maybe take a stroll.
It is also a big shopping sale day on the level of the United States’ ‘Black Friday’ day after Thanksgiving.
Historically there was fox hunting as well though governmental regulations have attempted to put the kibosh on that.
Traditional Boxing Day Food
I was curious if there are traditional meals or foods that are part of Boxing Day.
I checked with friends from Bristol England about traditional foods for the holiday. They have kindly shared some personal insights for those of us not practicing the holiday.
They’ve also shared a Chutney recipe for Boxing Day or Christmas Chutney.
Boxing Day Lunch
On Boxing Day most families in Britain begin to use up the left-over turkey from Christmas Day.
There is usually an enormous joint of gammon ham or roast beef still around from Christmas Eve as well.
So, COLD CUTS (or ‘leftovers’ in American parlance) becomes traditional Boxing Day fare.
- Home-made chips: what Americans know as ‘fries’, but they are cut so they’re chunkier than French Fries and deep fry them in sunflower oil
- Heinz Baked Beans: canned white beans, cooked in a sweetish tomato sauce to a secret recipe – these days they come in a low calorie version
- Home-made pickled onions and pickled beetroot (my friends grow the shallots and beet in their own allotment garden and pickle them in malt vinegar during the first week of December, so they’re still crisp and scrumptious on 26th)
- Leftover stuffing and cranberry sauce
- And finally – sliced bread and butter (“this may seem an excessive addition of carbohydrate, but making “chip butties” with pickled onions is a much loved Boxing Day activity! And if you insist on being healthy, you can use wholemeal bread and substitute cholesterol-lowering sunflower spread for the butter. Be sure to save back enough chips and pickled onions!”)
BOXING DAY OR CHRISTMAS CHUTNEY
Ingredients
- 350 grams no-soak prunes
- 275 grams pitted dates
- 275 grams no-soak apricots
- 450 grams peeled onions
- 570 ml cider vinegar
- 50 grams salt
- 1 dessert spon grated fresh root ginger or 1 heaped teaspoon ground ginger
- 75 grams allspice berries
- 450 grams Demerara sugar
Instructions
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In a food processor chop the dried fruits and onions very small.
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Put vinegar in a large saucepan with salt and ginger, then tie allspice berries up in muslin or gauze (securely so they can't escape) and add to pan. Bring everything to the boil, and then stir in chopped fruits and onions, together with the sugar.
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Leave all to simmer very gently, uncovered, stirring occasionally for about one and a half hours, or until the chutney has thickened. When it's ready you will be able to draw a spoon across the surface of the chutney and make a trail which doesn't immediately fill up with surplus vinegar.
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Spoon chutney into warm, sterilized jars and seal per normal canning protocol. At sea level jars should be processed for 15 minutes and increased appropriately for higher altitude (refer to canning resources for correct time for your altitude). Allow to sit for one month to mature in a cool, dark place before eating.
Elyse @The Cultural Dish says
This was such a great post! I always wondered about boxing day and like that it is basically an extra day to eat! 🙂
Magic of Spice says
What a fascinating post, I had no idea what boxing day was. Will have to ask my grandmother if she ever celebrated…
Happy New Year, wishing you a wonderful 2012
highplainsdrifters says
I think you get Picture of the Year for that third one, the one with the fire place.
Toni (Boulder Locavore) says
Ping: I agree completely on chutney and this reminded me I need to be more liberal on my thinking of when and with what to use it!
Kim: This was eye opening on the Heinz 'Beanz' (as they are now marketed). Though it is an American company I think they market differently internationally and admittedly I've never had these beans. I think by the 26th, wherever one is, we are all tired of what we've been gorging on for the month!
HighPlainsDrifter: I'm glad you like the photo but I cannot take credit! Though I normally take all my own photos those for the International Guest Posts my friends have done are usually supplied by them whether their own or licensed stock photos. My only two in this post are the last two which I took of Trevor and Sue when in Tanzania. Happy Holidays!
Kim Bee says
I live 20 minutes from the Heinz factory in Ontario. My hubs did part of his apprenticeship there. Let's just say there are times of the year the whole town smells like tomatoes. Thank goodness we live far enough not to smell it. Lol! Boxing day for us is chill day. Although this year my daughter had to work. Apparently it's also the official Canucks order pizza day. She said they sold more pizzas yesterday than she's ever seen. I think everyone is so sick of turkey at that point and of cooking so they all order pizza. She looked a fright when she got home, still pretty frazzled. Great chutney recipe. Making some for the first time this week. Sure hope it turns out!
Carolyn says
Canadians celebrate Boxing Day too. Although there isn't really much to celebrate, it's more like you just enjoy it. Take it easy, take it slow, eat and hang out and extend the Xmas holiday!
Lizzy Do says
I remember Boxing Day from the one year we lived in Canada…but I didn't know all the history. Fascinating info from your friends…thanks so much to all 3 of you for sharing!
Ruth Reynoso-Sance says
Great post! Coincidentally today we were wondering with my co-worker what boxing day was! Thanks for the info!
ping says
Totally educational post! And here I've always thought Boxing Day was the day everyone packs their decorations away. Now that I think about it … it is rather soon to be packing it all off. Duh.
I love your chutney recipe! I gotta make this soon as I have everything on hand. We locals have a similar version but we add some chilly paste to it. You know Asians, we need that kick 😀 And it goes really super with curry!
And I too abhor hunting. What a cruel sport.
Merry Christmas!