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When is Boxing Day?
Boxing Day falls on Saturday, December 26, 2026.
About Boxing Day
Boxing Day falls on December 26 every year, the day immediately after Christmas Day. It is a public holiday in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and most other Commonwealth nations. The origin of the name is debated. One common explanation is that it referred to the boxes of gifts and food traditionally given to servants and tradespeople on the day after Christmas. Modern Boxing Day is a major shopping day, with post-Christmas sales comparable in scale to Black Friday in the United States. It is also a major sporting day in the UK, with a full schedule of football fixtures, and the Boxing Day Test cricket match begins in Australia. When December 26 falls on a Saturday or Sunday, the public holiday is usually observed on the next available weekday.
The earliest recorded use of the term "Boxing Day" dates from the 1830s, though the practice of giving "Christmas boxes" to tradespeople and servants was already centuries old. Some scholars trace the tradition further back to the alms boxes placed in churches during Advent, which were opened on the day after Christmas so their contents could be given to the poor. The Boxing Day cricket Test in Melbourne, Australia, has been played almost every year since 1980 and now regularly draws crowds of 80,000 or more, one of the largest single-day sporting attendances in the country. In English football, the Boxing Day fixture programme is one of the most-watched of the year. Many countries observe a substitute day if December 26 falls on a Saturday or Sunday, moving the public holiday to the following weekday.
Frequently asked questions
Why is it called Boxing Day?
The name is not settled, but the most common explanation links it to gift boxes. On the day after Christmas, employers, households and the well-off traditionally gave boxes of money, food or goods to servants, tradespeople and the poor. A related idea points to the alms boxes kept in churches, which were opened after Christmas so their contents could be shared out. The first recorded use of the term dates from the 1830s, though the underlying customs are much older. The name has nothing to do with the sport of boxing.
Is Boxing Day a public holiday?
Boxing Day is a public holiday in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and most other Commonwealth countries. It is not observed as a holiday in the United States, where December 26 is a normal working day. Where December 26 falls on a weekend, most countries that recognise the holiday move the day off to the next available weekday, and a Christmas Day on a weekend can push substitute days into the following week. Rules differ slightly between countries, so the exact weekday observed depends on local law.
What happens on Boxing Day in the UK?
Boxing Day in the UK is now best known for shopping and sport. Retailers run heavy post-Christmas sales, and for years it was one of the busiest shopping days of the year, though online deals and Black Friday have reduced its lead. It is also a major sporting day, with a full programme of football fixtures and traditional horse racing meetings. Many people spend the day quietly with family, walking or visiting relatives. Some take part in hunts or charity events such as cold-water swims at the coast.
What is the Boxing Day Test?
The Boxing Day Test is a cricket match that starts on December 26 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in Australia. Australia has staged a Test on that date almost every year since 1980, and it has become one of the fixed points of the Australian summer. The match regularly draws crowds of 80,000 or more on its opening day, among the largest single-day attendances for cricket anywhere. South Africa also stages a Boxing Day Test, and the date is a recognised part of the international cricket calendar.
What is the difference between Boxing Day and Black Friday?
Both are major sales days, but they fall at different points and started in different ways. Black Friday is the Friday after the US Thanksgiving in late November and marks the start of the Christmas shopping season. Boxing Day is December 26 and comes straight after Christmas, so its sales are about clearing stock and spending gift money. Boxing Day is a public holiday across the Commonwealth, while Black Friday is not an official holiday anywhere. In the UK, Black Friday has grown quickly since around 2010 and now rivals Boxing Day for discount shopping.