When people are in a good humour--and everybody is supposed to be in a
good humour at Christmas--they find it easy to give little gifts to
their relations, friends, children and servants. On Christmas Day these
gifts are given to friends and the children of the household, but on the
day after Christmas the servants and dependents obtain their share of
the gifts in what is called a Christmas Box. Hence the 26th December has
come to be recognized as Boxing Day. This is a very old custom, and
probably it has its origin in certain customs that were observed by the
Romans during the Saturnalia. At that season presents were distributed
to all, and for one day, at least, the Roman slaves received the gift of
freedom. That was a good custom.
It was wise for the early Christian Church to adopt this method of
giving presents at Christmastide, but the custom has lost some of its
wisdom by use. The art of giving wisely is a very difficult art;
almost as difficult as the art of receiving wisely. At Christmas time
this becomes very plain to us, and it is especially obvious to us on
Boxing Day. Many of the gifts bestowed on that day are bestowed with a
grudge, and received as a matter of right. That is not as it should be,
for all pleasure is lost when a gift is bestowed in a stingy spirit, and
taken with a thankless hand. I feel sure that you children do not give
or receive your Christmas boxes in that manner. If you have any little
gift to bestow upon the people who do you a service throughout the year,
you will do it cheerfully. And if any one gives you a little gift, do
not turn it over and over looking at all sides, but accept it with
thankfulness and a cheerful countenance. By so doing you will find that
Boxing Day is one of the most pleasant days in all the year.
For a London child there is an interesting event that always happens on
the 26th December. The pantomimes begin upon Boxing Day. Your old
friends the Harlequin, the Clown, the Pantaloon bounce upon the stage
with all their old antics and most of their old jokes. But the more
ancient the jokes are, I think you like them the better. When I was a
boy I liked to see the Clown play tricks upon the policeman, and startle
innocent people with a red-hot poker. I am sure that you feel just like
that to-day, and that you laugh as heartily as I did. There is nothing
better than laughter; and throughout England, in every playhouse, a
great tide of laughter begins upon Boxing Day.
And now we have reached almost the last day of the year, and quite the
last page of this little book. Since New Year's Day we have travelled
together, and I have tried to explain to you the meaning of the various
Holy Days and Holidays. I have tried to make the explanations
interesting, and not exactly like the dull books that grown-ups read.
But I am not sure that I have succeeded; holidays are stupid things when
they are set down in print. It is far better to take them just as they
come along, and enjoy the good things they bring. Holidays are like the
pictures in a dry book. When I was a boy I sometimes skipped the reading
and enjoyed the pictures. You can skip the reading in this book if you
like.