neylitalo Posted May 23, 2008 Share Posted May 23, 2008 I just watched an episode of M*A*S*H in which some British soldiers introduced an idea to the hospital unit that so many generations have fallen in love with. They described Boxing Day (the day after Christmas, for those of us not in countries that celebrate the holiday) as a traditional holiday on which the masters of the manors trade places with the servants. The British unit had apparently translated it to the officers and enlisted men taking on the (less life-threatening) jobs and responsibilities of the others, as an exercise in boosting morale and understanding of the way "the other half lives". (Hilarity ensues as the company clerk smokes expensive cigars and the commanding officer types requisition orders at a rate of eight "Damn!"s per minute.) I've never heard of this, nor has my research turned up anything on the subject. I've come across a few similar traditions in my browsing - for example, I've read that the masters of the house would give Christmas gifts (the equivalent of Christmas bonuses for today's employees) to their servants on the day after Christmas. In medieval times, it was apparently custom for the lord to make gifts of clothing, food, firewood, and other practical gifts to the serfs living on their land. What I'm wondering is this: Is there any basis of fact for this? Was this common in the old times (or modern), or just celebrated by very few people, or even celebrated at all? Was this just a story-telling mechanism? I'm very interested in any insights you may have. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GingerRobot Posted May 23, 2008 Share Posted May 23, 2008 Interesting. I think it would be nice if it were true, though im afraid I have no idea what the origins of Boxing Day are. You'd think i'd bother to find out, celebrating it every year! Out of interest, apart from the UK, which countries celebrate Boxing Day? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyB Posted May 23, 2008 Share Posted May 23, 2008 Out of interest, apart from the UK, which countries celebrate Boxing Day? When all else fails ... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boxing_Day Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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