I enjoy celebrating Christmas, and in my house, we gift each other foodie items like chocolate, cheeses and truffle oil, experiences like theatre tickets — and books! Of course, lots of books. We play board games and drink Champagne on Christmas Eve, and on the day itself we have a big Christmas dinner with all the trimmings (my favourites are the stuffing, the bread sauce, and the pigs in blankets).
Whether or not you celebrate Christmas, you will no doubt be glad of the time off — and while I do enjoy the bustle of Christmas Day, I really love Boxing Day! Not only do we get a bank holiday for it, but it’s the perfect day to relax and enjoy looking at all your presents. In my house, Boxing Day is for relaxing with a big box of chocolates, a glass of wine and a new book.
Speaking of board games, here is a bit of trivia for you: do you know the history of the name ‘Boxing Day’? It dates back to the times when the whole family would gather on the day after Christmas for the big annual day-after-Christmas boxing match. It is a tradition that pre-dates the invention of the television, and families used to gather around the wireless to listen in to the big fight. Interesting, right?!
Ok, you got me — it actually comes from the tradition of the wealthy boxing up gifts for charity, and it was a day off for the servants to go home and give Christmas boxes to their families.
These days, I think it’s a nice reminder of those less fortunate than ourselves — I always set time aside this week to set up my charity donations for the coming year, and to think about how I will give meaningfully to those that need it. One of my favourite ways to give is by making loans on Kiva.org. Kiva is an international not-for-profit that provides loans to people in developing countries. My interests are women, education, and animals, and I love to fund loans in these areas. If you’re looking for a new way to help, maybe have a look at Kiva and see what you think!
So whatever you’re doing this week, I hope you have plenty of time with family or friends, and don’t forget to take time for self-care, too.
I hope you have a wonderful Christmas. See you next year!
Rachel xoxo