Boxing Day - December 26, 2019
My favourite day of the year is December 26. In Canada we call it “Boxing Day.” As I slow-jogged (slogged) Green Valley RV Resort this morning, I wished fellow walkers a “Happy Boxing Day!” And then, seeing their confused faces, had to explain what Boxing Day means. And I’ll get to that in a minute.
Why do I love December 26th so much? For a variety of reasons. A) I’m a Grinch. I really don’t like the Christmas Season very much. But not because I’m mean and cheap – at least I hope I’m not. Rather, this season of Advent makes me so blue. I miss the times I shared with my aunts and uncles and cousins and grandpa when I was a little kid. I miss seeing my Dad’s car pull up in our driveway. And I miss Laur’s Dad calling our kids as Gimico – the Steven family Elf. And the box of presents from Laur’s mom? You needed a fresh exacto knife to remove all the tape. (I’m very fortunate – my Mom is still living.)
And B) It’s a day off. When our kids were little, my folks came up to Sudbury for Christmas and entertained them before, during, and on Boxing Day. On December 26th, Mom loved taking our kids to K-Mart to check out the “blue light specials.” Dad loved suggesting we order in for food – rather than try to eat, once again, the “curious” Christmas Dinner Laur and I concocted. (Then, on December 27th, Dad pointed the Chrysler southeast. You could set your year-clock by him.)
Even today it’s a day off. Laur’s gone for a hike and supper is premade. Yes, leftovers.
I said earlier I would describe what Boxing Day is. According to Professor Google, “Boxing Day dates from the Middle Ages. ... It's a tradition of giving to the needy on the day after Christmas. One theory for the name of Boxing Day is that churches would open their alms box (in which people had put gifts or money) on that day and distribute the contents to the poor.”
This year it’s a no-brainer to fill a box or two for folks in need. I had issued our trailer park a challenge – to match the 100 boxes of Mac n Cheese dinners that Laur and I had bought for the Sahuarita Food Bank for January and February. (OK, we actually used “Granny Dollars.” A wonderful tradition started by my mom, Granny Marj, and it continues today. It’s a fun and easy thing to spend other people’s money.)
Yesterday, an amazing lad – who is from Canada, by the way – came to our door with $50 raised Christmas afternoon in a game called “Reindeer Races.” I was deeply touched. I ordered the second 100 boxes of mac n cheese dinners today. (Did I mention, it’s a fun and easy thing to spend other people’s money?)
You too can get the “helpers high” of Boxing Day and it need not cost you a cent. Here are some suggestions.
I asked Professor Google what some of the most unwanted Christmas gifts are, and here are some of them and suggestions about what to do with them.
1. Socks and sweaters. Give them to a homeless shelter. They can never get enough of these!
2. Baskets of cosmetics i.e. shampoo, cream rinse, soap. Donate to the local home for abused women and children.
3. Kitchen implements. You may not need a new set of knives, but I bet your local soup kitchen does.
4. Gift cards for a specific store. Maybe you were given a Tim Horton’s or Dunkin Donuts gift card, and you’re a Starbucks kinda guy or gal. Take that card, buy up a couple of tins of coffee, and give to a recovery home for men or women. They can never have enough coffee.
*****
December 26 is also the Feast of St. Stephen.
I love Stephen. Here is his abridged story. In the early Christian church, some of the widows were being neglected in the distribution of food. So the 12 disciples chose 7 men to oversee this. One of the men was Stephen who was described as being “full of the Spirit and wisdom.” (Widows and orphans are at the top of Jesus’s “Do not neglect!” list.)
Sadly, Stephen attracted the hostility of the ruling religious elite of the time and he was martyred. I realize this is a sad turn in a Sunshine story. But this is the case for most Catholic Saints. And this is why they get their day of celebration. In this case, December 26 - the Feast of St. Stephen.
You and I can celebrate this too by remembering our widows and widowers in need. Just this morning, a wonderful couple in our park dropped off a cheque for $70 for the Seniors’ Program of the Sahuarita Food Bank. (Hey, that’s over $100 in Canadian money!) In this neck of the woods – and likely yours – there are retired folks who have worked long and hard their whole lives, but their pensions or savings are being outstripped by the rising cost of food and housing.
So why not end this year with a donation to seniors in need or a non-profit veterans’ home like Marshall’s. You’ll feel just like Good King Wenceslas*.
*****
*You can find the lyrics to Good King Wenceslas here - https://www.carols.org.uk/good_king_wenceslas.htm
Why do I love December 26th so much? For a variety of reasons. A) I’m a Grinch. I really don’t like the Christmas Season very much. But not because I’m mean and cheap – at least I hope I’m not. Rather, this season of Advent makes me so blue. I miss the times I shared with my aunts and uncles and cousins and grandpa when I was a little kid. I miss seeing my Dad’s car pull up in our driveway. And I miss Laur’s Dad calling our kids as Gimico – the Steven family Elf. And the box of presents from Laur’s mom? You needed a fresh exacto knife to remove all the tape. (I’m very fortunate – my Mom is still living.)
And B) It’s a day off. When our kids were little, my folks came up to Sudbury for Christmas and entertained them before, during, and on Boxing Day. On December 26th, Mom loved taking our kids to K-Mart to check out the “blue light specials.” Dad loved suggesting we order in for food – rather than try to eat, once again, the “curious” Christmas Dinner Laur and I concocted. (Then, on December 27th, Dad pointed the Chrysler southeast. You could set your year-clock by him.)
Even today it’s a day off. Laur’s gone for a hike and supper is premade. Yes, leftovers.
I said earlier I would describe what Boxing Day is. According to Professor Google, “Boxing Day dates from the Middle Ages. ... It's a tradition of giving to the needy on the day after Christmas. One theory for the name of Boxing Day is that churches would open their alms box (in which people had put gifts or money) on that day and distribute the contents to the poor.”
This year it’s a no-brainer to fill a box or two for folks in need. I had issued our trailer park a challenge – to match the 100 boxes of Mac n Cheese dinners that Laur and I had bought for the Sahuarita Food Bank for January and February. (OK, we actually used “Granny Dollars.” A wonderful tradition started by my mom, Granny Marj, and it continues today. It’s a fun and easy thing to spend other people’s money.)
Yesterday, an amazing lad – who is from Canada, by the way – came to our door with $50 raised Christmas afternoon in a game called “Reindeer Races.” I was deeply touched. I ordered the second 100 boxes of mac n cheese dinners today. (Did I mention, it’s a fun and easy thing to spend other people’s money?)
You too can get the “helpers high” of Boxing Day and it need not cost you a cent. Here are some suggestions.
- Take a look at your pantry. You have bought more non-perishables than you can use over the next month. Put it in a box for your local food bank. January and February are lean months.
- Got disposables? The Marshall Home for Men (Tucson) welcomes styrofoam cups, paper plates, napkins, cutlery, and paper towels. (I’ll deliver.)
- Don’t return unwanted Christmas gifts – donate them. Do you really want to spend half a day lined up at the returns cash register along with 50 other grouchy people?
I asked Professor Google what some of the most unwanted Christmas gifts are, and here are some of them and suggestions about what to do with them.
1. Socks and sweaters. Give them to a homeless shelter. They can never get enough of these!
2. Baskets of cosmetics i.e. shampoo, cream rinse, soap. Donate to the local home for abused women and children.
3. Kitchen implements. You may not need a new set of knives, but I bet your local soup kitchen does.
4. Gift cards for a specific store. Maybe you were given a Tim Horton’s or Dunkin Donuts gift card, and you’re a Starbucks kinda guy or gal. Take that card, buy up a couple of tins of coffee, and give to a recovery home for men or women. They can never have enough coffee.
*****
December 26 is also the Feast of St. Stephen.
I love Stephen. Here is his abridged story. In the early Christian church, some of the widows were being neglected in the distribution of food. So the 12 disciples chose 7 men to oversee this. One of the men was Stephen who was described as being “full of the Spirit and wisdom.” (Widows and orphans are at the top of Jesus’s “Do not neglect!” list.)
Sadly, Stephen attracted the hostility of the ruling religious elite of the time and he was martyred. I realize this is a sad turn in a Sunshine story. But this is the case for most Catholic Saints. And this is why they get their day of celebration. In this case, December 26 - the Feast of St. Stephen.
You and I can celebrate this too by remembering our widows and widowers in need. Just this morning, a wonderful couple in our park dropped off a cheque for $70 for the Seniors’ Program of the Sahuarita Food Bank. (Hey, that’s over $100 in Canadian money!) In this neck of the woods – and likely yours – there are retired folks who have worked long and hard their whole lives, but their pensions or savings are being outstripped by the rising cost of food and housing.
So why not end this year with a donation to seniors in need or a non-profit veterans’ home like Marshall’s. You’ll feel just like Good King Wenceslas*.
*****
*You can find the lyrics to Good King Wenceslas here - https://www.carols.org.uk/good_king_wenceslas.htm