Boxing Day

The only guarantee for Boxing Day is that I’ll eat cold pie for breakfast, having eaten none on Christmas Day. Also guaranteed is the consumption of at least one turkey, cranberry, stuffing, butter, salt and pepper sandwich.

There is also the guarantee of much lounging about, naps on the couch, watching any of the movies we got for Christmas, eating of chocolate etc.

Being a Canadian brought up in Ecuador, married to an American, we don’t really have any set Boxing Day traditions. It’s never been a day for returning presents we didn’t want, because in Ecuador that was nigh unto impossible. (Besides, I never got a present I didn’t want!)

This year Boxing Day is even more low-key because Troy is on his way to Chicago to perform a wedding , leaving behind a slightly sad little family, a dog that is bound to make serious trouble and the rest of the Christmas clean-up that his wife is conveniently ignoring by leaving the kitchen door closed. (Don’t worry honey, I’ll get to it sometime before you get back on Monday! I think next year we should give each other a maid for a day so we don’t have to do the huge piles of Christmas dishes!)

I am definitely feeling my age this Christmas. Not only was I a complete scatter-brain this year, I am also completely and utterly knackered. So if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to join the snoring dog on the couch.

The first time I ever “celebrated” Boxing Day was in Canada. Talk about a party!

Just kidding. One has to know that, should the holiday contain the word “box” in it, one is going to have a rip-roaring good time, eh?

When I was a kid I can remember looking at a calendar and seeing the words “Boxing Day” printed on the square for December 26. I remember wrinkling my nose as if I’d just been asked to eat liver and onions and thinking, “Whatever.”

So, at that age I unknowingly celebrated by playing hockey all day in various pick-up games down at the local park. Now I know that the two do go together well. They both involve boxing.

These days it seems that Boxing Day is a day for big sales in the stores. But, what on earth was this day all about before there was such a thing as “sales”?

I asked this question once to a bunch of female friends and they assured me, “Uh, Troy: there have always been sales. Sales are the Alpha and Omega. The first and last.They wuz and iz and iz to come.”

(“By the way, I in no way am inferring that my lovely wife was among their company”, said Troy as wifey Boxed him over the ears.)